Group 1 Winner West On Augie Begins Stud Duties

GROUP 1 winning star West On Augie has succumbed to injury and been retired to stud after a glittering race career.

And the son of Fernando Bale will join the line-up of stud dog stars with Tony Wiseman in Calga at Sires On Ice.

Wiseman announced today that West On Augie would stand for a fee of $1980.

Part-owned by Linda Britton, the son of Fernando Bale and Te Amo ends his career with 71 starts for 38 wins and 10 placings earning $441,000 in stakes for Linda, her partner Chris Halse and long-time kennel client Gary Weston.

“He cracked a metatarsal and while we tried to bring him back, it just wasn't happening,” said Linda.

West On Augie, by a champion from a group 1 race bitch and group 1 producer, lived right up to his regal bloodlines by winning the 2018 Group 1 National Sprint Championship at Sandown Park.

He set a track record, always the perfect recipe for stud success, at Mandurah and also won the Group 2 WA Derby, The Sandgroper, WA Puppy Classic, Anniversary Cup, Winter Cup and Paradise Street Trophy.

He was also a finalist in the Group 1 Melbourne Cup, Topgun and twice a Perth Cup finalist (18-19), almost making it three in the 2020 edition. 

“We already have a litter by him at our property that is four months old from West On Maisie a daughter of Barcia Bale-Zelemar Fever who was a multiple Group bitch,” said Linda.

“We might be biased, but they are magnificent pups.”

West On Augie was sent to Victoria late in 2019 while recovering from injury and his semen was collected while there and has since been stored in Victoria, South Australia and of course in Perth.

Linda was high in praise of the dog.

“Brilliant kennel dog, strong, and when pressured he would never give in,” she said.

“He always gave his all. It has always been a pleasure to have him around.”

While West On Augie was the obvious standout, his littermates were extra smart gallopers.

They included Notorious Mac (16 wins, $85,000), Miss Hanigan (16 wins, $43,000), Aston Ando (8 wins, $36,000), Gran Amor (6 wins, $52,000) and Aston Ninja (16 wins, $40,000) etc.

Their dam Te Amo won 20 races and was a multiple Group winner, placegetter and finalist. She has become a broodbitch goldmine.

Linda and her connections have huge faith in West On Augie at stud and are happy he will be given his chance with Tony Wiseman at Sires On Ice.

“This is a racing kennel and we have a big number of dogs in work,” she said.

“We are also rearing a lot of pups now.

“We are not really studmasters.”

She said she had already sold several vials of semen for West On Augie to breeders around the country.