Flemington trainer Roy Shaw is reported to have once described the champion Western Australian race horse Aquanita to newsmen as a ‘tigerish villain'. In private much harsher words were used, but he had one redeeming feature – this horse was a champion!
This almost black stallion, sold at the Perth yearling sales for 575 guineas, was the champion Western Australian race horse of his generation, recording 28 wins and 18 placings from 69 race starts across four States.
Owned by cousins, Bill and Jack Thomas, Aquanita began his career in Perth, trained by Reg Treffone. At two years, Aquanita won only two races but at three years his ability came to the fore, winning seven races from eight starts, including the Railway Stakes and Easter Handicap.
Recognising the limited opportunities for the horse in Western Australia, Aquanita joined the Flemington stables of Roy Shaw in the spring of 1961. At four years, he won the first of two George Adams Stakes at Flemington, ridden by Ron Hutchinson, and later that season the Doomben 10000 and W.J. Healy Stakes in Brisbane.
At five years, Aquanita again won the George Adams Stakes at Flemington, before returning in the Autumn to add the Futurity Stakes and Alister Clark Stakes, ridden by Roy Higgins to achieve a weight carrying record, to his list of feature race victories.
It was at six years, that the striking stallion from the West had his best season, with champion Western Australian Jockey Frank ‘Tiger' Moore riding him at seven of his eight wins, including the W.S. Cox Plate at Moonee Valley. Following his Cox Plate win Aquanita ran third to Even Stevens in the Melbourne Cup – a distance at which the horse was clearly unsuited. His other wins for the season included the Craiglee Stakes, Underwood Stakes, L.K.S. Mackinnon Stakes, C.F. Orr Stakes and the Duke of Edinburgh Stakes, a raced staged at Flemington to coincide with the royal visit.
Retired by his owners in the spring of 1963 Aquanita returned to Western Australia to stand at Stud.
Principal Wins
3yo season
Railway Stakes, Ascot 1600m
Lee Steere Stakes, Ascot 1400m
Easter Handicap, Ascot 1600m
4yo season
George Adams Stakes, Flemington 1600m
W.J. Healy Stakes, Eagle Farm 1200m
Doomben 10,000, Doomben 1400m
5yo season
George Adams Stakes, Flemington 1600m
Underwood Stakes, Caulfield 2000m
Futurity Stakes, Caulfield 1400m
Alister Clark Stakes, Moonee Valley 2000m
6yo season
W.S. Cox Plate , Moonee Valley 2000m
Craiglee Stakes, Flemington 2000m
Underwood Stakes, Caulfield 2000m
L.K.S. Mackinnon Stakes, Flemington 2000m
Turnbull Stakes, Flemington 2400m
C.F. Orr Stakes, Caulfield 1600m
St. George Stakes, Caulfield 1800m
Duke of Edinburgh Stakes, Flemington 1600m