Westbound became the third black type earner for his Perth Cup winning dam Western Jewel, when he produced a big staying performance to take out the Listed Aquanita Stakes at Belmont on Saturday.
Stepping out at the 2000m trip for the first time after two unplaced but eye-catching performances in the Raconteur Stakes and Belmont Guineas, the Michael Grantham trained Westbound was sent out a hot favourite for the Aquanita, and the race panned out perfectly for the exciting young galloper and his jockey Clint Johnston-Porter.
When the field of twelve runners were released it was longshot Castle Road ( Safeguard) who burst out of the gates to take up his customary front running role from Fiery Spark (Ole Kirk), while King Of The Town ( Flying Artie) was also gunned forward to take up a prominent position.
200/1 bolter Cape Leeuwin ( I'm All The Talk) began boldly to be in the leading bunch alongside fellow roughie, the 100/1 Royal Crest (Royal Meeting).
They were closely followed by two horses form students had assessed as genuine dangers to the favourite - 7/1 Linchpin (Playing God) and 5/1 Spellborn (Peltzer) who raced just Ahead of Westbound, who had settled nicely in midfield. Second favourite Special Counsel ( Star Witness) for the formidable Pike - Williams combination had gone back to second last.
At the 1400m mark Castle Road was really travelling. This was going to be a genuine stamina test! The free-wheeling galloper was out by two and a half lengths to Cape Leeuwin and Fiery Spark, with King Of The Town suddenly three lengths astern of them and the rest of the field stringing out in a procession. It was still a relatively pain-free watch for favourite backers, who could see Westbound travelling oh so sweetly for Johnston-Porter as those around him began to feel the pressure.
Down the side at the 650m and Castle Road’s lead had been reduced to a length, as Cape Leeuwin ran up the white flag and Fiery Spark desperately tried to hang in for the fight but to no avail. Now tracking into it round the outside came King Of The Town with an ominous burst of acceleration and with him came Linchpin, with Westbound in behind them about to come off heels.
Into the straight and King Of The Town swept to the lead as Castle Road’s effort came to an end, but Westbound was now in hot pursuit and unleashing the full power of his big ground-eating stride!
At the 200m the Toronado gelding charged to the lead and it was all over. Special Counsel was running on well from the back, but Westbound had the Aquanita Stakes in his keeping and was eased down on the line by Johnston-Porter to win by two and a half lengths in a dominant performance.
The gallant Special Counsel toughed it out for second, though it has to be said, most of the horses he passed in the straight were basically going up and down on the one spot.
Four lengths away in third was Linchpin, then Spellborn, and the rest of them plodding home at intervals like the proverbial bovines of Farmer Brown.
No doubt the strongest stayer reigned supreme.
The win brought up consecutive Aquanita Stakes victories for the owner/trainer/jockey team of Peters, Grantham,and Johnston-Porter after they combined to taste success with Arcadia Park last year.
The Michael Grantham trained Westbound now boasts a career record of 9 starts, 5 - 0 - 2 and $303,995 in earnings.
He was bred to be good, and he is. Westbound is a half brother to the ageless WA superstar Western Empire ( thirteen stakes wins and still going strong) and was bred by Bob Peters from his outstanding G2 Perth Cup winning mare Western Jewel.
It was a satisfying result for Peters, who loves winning these winter staying races with the seemingly endless string of up and coming young horses that emerge from his famed breeding program.
“It was good to see pace wasn't it, in a distance race” he said, as the latest of them returned to scale before an appreciative crowd.
“He proved that he could get ground, and he looks good for the future. I think he's as good (as Arcadia Park) and the others on that run, but then again, there's been stronger Aquanita fields I think”.
“He might as well go on to the Belmont Classic in a fortnight, it's there and he’s got plenty of time to recover, so you might as well have a crack at it.”
Johnston- Porter was well pleased with the way Westbound has come on this prep.
“That was brilliant” enthused the hoop.\
“When I rode him first up this prep, he just needed the blinkers really badly. They went on, and we got to see the best of him, and today we see the capabilities he's got up his sleeve. Coming into today, I thought he was a great chance.”
It was a banner day for the Grantham stable and their three year olds in particular.
Two Time Charlie ( Playing God) ridden by Johnston-Porter, won race 4. He is not bred or owned by Peters Investments but his grand dam is their great filly Dreamaway.
A nose away in second was 4yo With Discretion ( Toronado ) who is bred and owned by Peters.
In the following race, three year old filly Conducive ( Contributer) trained by Grantham and owned by Peters Investments took the prize.
Bob's homebred Effortlessly (Churchill) and his well fancied Like Clockwork ( Extreme Choice) stepped out in the Belmont Oaks looking to add still more glory to the day, but finished out of the placings despite running well.
Finally, it was Willie Pike ( “back Pike in the last” is the Perth punter's mantra!) and 4yo Olympic Park (Ocean Park) owned by - you guessed it, Peters Investments- who topped off a memorable day.
But let's get back to the highly promising Westbound!
He is the 53rd lifetime stakes-winner and eighth stakes winner of the season for Toronado, who continues to impress with his versatility and ability to get winners from a large variety of mares and bloodlines - they are good lookers too.
Amongst his leading progeny in 2026 are star juveniles like the G1 JJ Atkins hero Tron Bolt and G2 VRC Sires winner Grinzinger Heart, the super tough filly Silvasista who romped in the marathon VRC St Leger Stakes, and the gifted sprinter Helios Express, who has had the deeply unenviable task of playing the supporting role to Ka Ying Rising in Hong Kong.
Helios Express is a G1 winner. He would be a six time G1 winner if not for the freak he has run into, and is a great horse in his own right.
Westbound’s dam, the Peters Investments bred Western Jewel, sadly died last year just days after foaling a Lightsaber filly for Darling View Thoroughbreds, who purchased her for $55,000 at the 2023 Inglis Broodmare Sale.
For Darling View, the mare had also delivered a 2024 colt by their champion sire Playing God. The career of this fellow, who sold for $140,000 to Parnham Racing Stables at MM Perth Yearling this year, will be watched with great interest.
Likewise, Western Jewel’s precious filly by Zoustar's son Lightsaber.
A regal chestnut daughter of the 1994 Melbourne Cup hero Jeune, Western Jewel notched up eight wins, with her career highlight coming in the 2011 G2 Perth Cup after she had finished fourth the previous year.
For Peters, Western Jewel produced six named foals, and Westbound is the last of them.
His year older full sister Western Lady, a recently retired winner of four and placed three times in twelve starts up to 2400m, was sold by Peters Investments to Forest View Farm for $37,500 through Inglis Online in 2025.
Western Jewel's very first foal was the 2013 born Western Temple ( Dream Ahead) who won 12 races including the Listed Bunbury Stakes for earnings of $698,850.
He was followed by Western King (Animal Kingdom) - five wins - and his full sister Western Pride, who was born in 2015. Western Pride won four races and is retained by Peters Investments.
Her first foal Western Miss (Ghaiyyath) is a three year old showing huge promise with a win, second and third in only three starts, her maiden victory coming at Bunbury on 28th June over 1400m where she bolted in by three lengths.
A full sister born in 2023 sadly died after birth, and the mare missed to her next covering by Ghaiyyath.
In 2025 Western Miss produced her next filly, this time to another great son of Dubawi - Woodside Park Stud's Benbatl, who also shuttles to Japan.
She currently awaits a foal by Darley's 3 x G1 winning sprinter miler Native Trail ( Oasis Dream) who has served two seasons in Australia.
Western Jewel spent four years at stud in NZ, where she produced her superstar Western Empire (Iffraaj), in 2017.
The year after she delivered a daughter Western Queen (Dream Ahead)
Western Queen sadly died at four years, having raced just once in Perth.
Western Knight ( Iffraaj) has won three and placed three times in six starts. Western Power was the last of the three full brothers by Iffraaj and was born in Australia. Now five, he has raced 18 times for four wins and six placings.
Westbound's second dam Our Millster by the legendary broodmare sire Marooned by Mill Reef, produced six winners.
Western Jewel was her best but there was also Western Blaze (Hard Spun) who won the Raconteur Stakes, and his stakes placed full brother Forceful.
Our Millster was a three quarter sister to the dam of high class Perth gallopers Famous Roman and LightOfProsperity.
They were foaled by the multiple stakes winning mare Timeless Action by Nijinsky's Serheed - another noted broodmare sire, not least of the immortal WA Champion Northerly!
The next sire on Western Jewel's dam line is Balkan Knight, a half brother by Graustark to Roberto, so it's not hard to see why mares of this family can produce elite performers.
This illustrious female line is a branch of the13- b family which descends from Hebrew Maid.
Born in 1904 and sent to NZ in 1906, she was sired by Orion, a full brother to Ornis who would become ancestress of the great Blue Hen Frizette (13-c)
Westbound and his family descend from this mare through Indian Princess, the fifth dam of Golden Slipper winner and top sire Danzero.
Other branches of this tribe gave us the champion sires O'Reilly and Ocean Park, Star Witness, and Darley's exciting 4 x G1 winner Broadsiding.
Westbound is bred
Nijinsky x 5m,5m
Toronado is certainly one of the best representatives of the great High Chaparral at stud, and was the Co- Champion Miler of Europe /GB in 2013, excelling at Royal Ascot where he won the G1 Queen Anne Stakes and was runner in the G1 St James Palace Stakes .
Toronado's dam is half sister to G1 winner and successful sire Casamento from the family of Australian G1 winners Heart Of Dreams and French Clock. He is a descendant of Blue Hen Belle Sauvage through her daughter, the Lancashire Oaks winner Noble Lassie by Nearco, who would become the dam of the Arc winner and champion sire Vaguely Noble (Vienna). Toronado's fifth dam Regal Lady was his half sister, by another great racehorse and sire Relko.
Relko's three quarter brother Reliance is the damsire of Kris carried by High Chaparral, giving Toronado a duplication of their dam, Relic's Blue Hen Relance. Hers is the family of Nijinsky's great son Green Dancer, the damsire of Jeune.
The family of the abovementioned Frizette, such an important nick for Wstbound's damline, is very strong in Toronado, most notably via Darshaan who descends from her daughter Banshee and is inbred to that Blue Hen via full sisters Heldifaan and Durban, the latter the dam of Djebel's sire Tourbillon. Djebel son Djeddah, also inbred to the tribe, was damsire of Blue Hen Lalun, a linebreeding subject in this pedigree ( Never Bend via two sons of Mill Reef and Bold Reason in Sadler’s Wells)
Toronado's second damsire Always Fair gives all this a nice kick along as he himself is a member of Lalun's wider family ( 19-b) while his damsire Gone West brings an important line of Frizette's breedshaping descendant Mr Prospector.
Other key linebreeding subjects in the further removes of Westbound’s fine pedigree include Graustark, Hard Ridden, Umidwar and his relation Palestine, and the Fairway son Blue Peter.
Toronado stands at Swettenham Stud on a fee of $88,000.
