Image: WestPix, Nine Media, Australian Racing Museum.
The highest honour in racing will be bestowed on three West Australians when they are welcomed into the prestigious Australian Racing Hall of Fame.
Champion racehorse Miss Andretti, leading owner Bob Peters and ace jockey Frank Treen will all take their place in the illustrious ranks along with racing royalty Gai Waterhouse, who is being elevated to Legend status, when Perth hosts the national ceremony in November.
From modest beginnings in rural Western Australia, Miss Andretti exceeded all expectations when she secured 19 wins – 11 at Group level – in just 31 starts, earning $2.8 million in prize money.
Without proven bloodlines and gifted to her first trainer as a weanling, the filly went on to become the best sprinter in the country and joined a select few Australian racehorses to win at Royal Ascot, where she also set one of her five track records.
Visionary owner and breeder Bob Peters will be inducted in the Associate category for his instrumental work in shaping the landscape of racing in Western Australia.
Five decades of meticulous attention to detail and bloodlines has earned Bob and his wife Sandra an extraordinary collection of wins – including a record 10 Perth Cups.
Bob has also contributed to the sport significantly as a racing administrator, serving 18 years on the Western Australian Turf Club committee, including two years as Chair.
One of the greatest WA jockeys of all time, Frank Treen, will be recognised for his outstanding 36-year career in the saddle.
Among the highlights of Frank’s long racing career were more than 2000 wins including 51 metropolitan cups, ranging from the Australian Cup at Flemington to the Moonee Valley Cup, Brisbane Cup, Port Adelaide Cup, Hobart Cup and the Belmont (WA) Cup.
He not only achieved his boyhood dream of winning the Perth Cup but won it five times.
He rode until 1983, retiring from the saddle at the age of 53 but making a final return ten years later to win a veteran jockeys’ race at Ascot on WA Derby Day.
Racing and Wagering Western Australian (RWWA) CEO Ian Edwards said he was thrilled for three of the State’s top sporting heroes to receive national recognition.
“These inductees have not only achieved remarkable success but have also inspired the broader racing community in WA,” Ian said.
“Their impact reaches far beyond the racetrack and reminds us of the rich history of horse racing in our state.”
At the same event, Kalgoorlie-born jockey Rod ‘Rocket’ Kemp will receive the honourable Australian Spirit of Racing Award for his dedication and contribution to thoroughbred racing.
Rod was hailed as Australia’s leading rider in 1984-85 and considered the ultimate professional throughout his career for his skill and judgement as well as the humility he retained while his list of achievements grew.
Despite his stellar career being cut short by an injury, Rod is well known for his staunch support of other racing participants and cheerful presence at the racetrack.
2023 Australian Racing Hall of Fame inductees:
| Thoroughbred inductee | Baguette |
| Thoroughbred inductee | Emancipation |
| Thoroughbred inductee | Miss Andretti |
| Jockey inductee | Frank Treen |
| Trainer inductee | Clarry Connors |
| Associate inductee | Bob Peters |
| Legend Award | Gai Waterhouse |
| Australian Spirit of Racing Award | Rod Kemp |
For more information about the event, please see here.