Royal Ascot Owner Profile: Sir Peter Vela
Racing Royalty Sir Peter Vela owns Eminent, who will make his Royal Ascot debut in the most prestigious race of the meeting, the Gr.1 Prince Wales Cup. Eminent is trained by Manton (UK) based trainer, Martyn Meade.
Sir Vela’s father Filip came to New Zealand in 1929 from a Croatian fishing village. He eventually founded one of the most successful fishing companies in the world. The Vela’s still own the company privately.
He and his brother (the late Philip Vela) began breeding racehorses in 1970 as a hobby. When they started they borrowed a broodmare from a breeder. Ten years later they started their showpiece stud Pencarrow Stud near Cambridge (New Zealand). Today Pencarrow is a highly successful breeding property where they base their band of broodmares and yearlings.
In 1997 they brought a struggling Wrigson Blodstock, which handled bloodstock sales at Karaka. The business which was later renamed as New Zealand Bloodstock, is a premier bloodstock sales company for Southern Hemisphere horses. Many top trainers swear by the purchases they made at the ‘Karaka Sales’.
Credit: Pallavi Shevade pallavi.shevade@secretaristworld.com