On Track - Spring 2020 Edition

24 “I had Old Comrade who won two Kingston Towns and an Australian Cup. Arcadia Queen is probably the closest I’ve had to him.” Peters, who also served 18 years on the WA Turf Club committee, including two years as chairman and two as vice-chairman, was inducted into the WA Racing Hall of Fame in 2019. He was influential as an administrator, helping the TAB merge betting pools with the eastern states and convincing the WA Government to lower turnover tax on the industry. Outside of racing, Peters was a savvy businessman, climbing the car retailing ranks to run BMW dealership Auto Classic in Burswood. A Cox Plate win would rate highly on his list of racing achievements, and West Australians have a proud history in the race. The most famous winner is none other than Northerly, the horse dubbed ‘The Fighting Tiger’ for his incredible toughness and will to win. Northerly not only etched his name into the record books with consecutive Cox Plate victories in 2001 and 2002, but he also rejuvenated the WA racing industry at a time when it was struggling. Another champion galloper, Aquanita, started his career in WA before a transfer to Victoria led to his Cox Plate victory in 1962 when ridden by legendary WA jockey, Frank ‘Tiger’ Moore. Easingwold was the first West Australian horse to win the Cox Plate in 1923, a potential omen for WA racing followers given it was just the second running of the Cox Plate in this a milestone year of the 100th running. For the army of followers who support the Cerise and White silks and the wizard rider named William Pike on board, a victory for Arcadia Queen would be celebrated with great enthusiasm and would be the cherry on top of the Peters’ ice cream and Western Australian racing. Bob Peters – An icon of Western Australian racing Jay Rooney heads The West Australian’s racing reporting team.