Wakeful was one of the great Thoroughbred mares of the Australian turf. She had shown her versatility by defeating top racehorses at distances from 5½ furlongs to 3 miles. She was unplaced in only three races.
This bay filly was foaled in 1896, and was by the outstanding racehorse and sire, Trenton from Insomnia by Robinson Crusoe. Her pedigree contained mostly good old colonial bloodlines that had proved their worth in Australian racing and breeding. She was offered at the St Aubins stud dispersal sale in 1900 and purchased by Leslie Macdonald for the bargain price of 310 guineas.HoF: Wakeful Retrieved 2010-9-20
Racing record Wakeful did not commence racing until she was four because of shin soreness. At her third start she won the VATC Oakleigh Plate, followed that by winning the VRC Newmarket Handicap and then the AJC Doncaster Handicap in a race record time of 1:39.75.
Taken to Sydney in 1902, she won all her four starts including the Sydney Cup carrying the impost of , and ran a race record.John Hogan, Wakeful – a grand mare, p. 91, Racetrack magazine, December 1981 Wakeful then went on to win races such as the AJC Plate and VRC Champion Stakes at three miles.Pring, Peter; "Analysis of Champion Racehorses", The Thoroughbred Press, Sydney, 1977,
At her last start she ran second in the 1903 VRC Melbourne Cup carrying the huge impost for a mare of which was 13 pounds over weight for age and conceded the winner Lord Cardigan . Previously no mare had carried more than and none of them finished in the first six.Cavanough, Maurice, The Melbourne Cup, Jack Pollard P/L, North Sydney, 1976 In all she had 44 starts, winning 25 races, was second 12 times and third 4 times.
1902 racebook
Race starts
Result Date Race Venue Distance Weight(St) Time Jockey Winner/2nd+ As a four-year-old: 1900-012nd1 Sep 1900Doona TrialCaulfield5f6.11:05.2Fred DunnRalph 1stunpl6 Oct 1900Paddock HandicapFlemington6f7.31:16.7Fred DunnCillagoe 1st1st9 Feb 1901Oakleigh PlateCaulfield5½f6.91:08.0Fred DunnSongbird 2nd1st2 Mar 1901Newmarket HandicapFlemington6f7.61:15.7Fred DunnFulminate 2nd1st6 Apr 1901Doncaster HandicapRandwick8f7.11:39.7S AngwinFerryman 2nd3rd8 Apr 1901Sydney CupRandwick2m7.13:32.0S AngwinSan Fran 1st
Result Date Race Venue Distance Weight(St) Time Jockey Winner/2nd+ As a five-year-old: 1901-021st12 Oct 1901Caulfield StakesCaulfield9f8.11:58.2Fred DunnHymettus 2nd2nd19 Oct 1901Caulfield CupCaulfield12f9.02:35.7Fred DunnHymettus 1st1st2 Nov 1901Melbourne StakesFlemington10f8.12:09.2Fred DunnSan Fran 2ndunpl5 Nov 1901Melbourne CupFlemington2m8.13:30.5S AnwinRevenue 1st2nd7 Nov 1901Flying StakesFlemington7f8.11:28.5Fred DunnSequence 1st1st15 Feb 1902St George StakesCaulfield9f8.11:44.0Fred DunnCombat 2nd2nd22 Feb 1902Futurity StakesCaulfield7f9.11:28.5Fred DunnSir Foote 1st1st1 Mar 1902Essendon StakesFlemington12f9.02:37.0Fred DunnBarbarossa 2nd2nd6 Mar 1902Champion StakesFlemington3m9.25:43.7Fred DunnLa Carabine 1st1st8 Mar 1902All Aged StakesFlemington8f8.11:40.2Fred DunnBonny Chief 2nd3rd8 Mar 1902Loch PlateFlemington14f9.53:07.0Fred DunnBlue Metal 1st1st29 Mar 1902Autumn StakesRandwick12f9.02:38.5Fred DunnBlue Metal 2nd1st31 Mar 1902Sydney CupRandwick2m9.73:28.0Fred DunnAcetine 2nd1st2 Apr 1902All Aged StakesRandwick8f8.11:39.5Fred DunnSir Leonard 2nd1st5 Apr 1902AJC PlateRandwick3m9.35:36.5J BardenHaymaker 2nd
Result Date Race Venue Distance Weight(St) Time Jockey Winner/2nd+ As a six-year-old: 1902-031st6 Sep 1902Spring StakesRandwick12f9.12:38.2Fred DunnSir Leonard 2nd1st10 Sep 1902Craven PlateRandwick10f8.12:08.0Fred DunnSir Leonard 2nd1st13 Sep 1902Randwick PlateRandwick2m 2f9.34:04.5Fred DunnBlue Metal 2nd2nd4 Oct 1902October StakesFlemington10f9.52:08.7Fred DunnStrata Florida 1st1st11 Oct 1902Caulfield StakesCaulfield9f8.31:57.0Fred DunnAbundance 2nd1st13 Oct 1902Eclipse StakesCaulfield11f9.42:26.0Fred DunnAir Motor 2nd1st1 Nov 1902Melbourne StakesFlemington10f8.12:08.2Fred DunnThe Victory 2nd2nd6 Nov 1902Flying StakesFlemington7f8.11:26.7Fred DunnIbex 1st1st8 Nov 1902CB Fisher PlateFlemington12f9.02:37.2Fred DunnGreat Scot 2nd2nd7 Feb 1903St George StakesCaulfield8f8.11:41.5J BardenFootbolt 1st1st14 Feb 1903St Hellier StakesCaulfield9f9.61:57.5J BardenPurser 2nd3rd21 Feb 1903Futurity StakesCaulfield7f9.11:28.2J BardenSir Leonard 1st1st18 Feb 1903Essendon StakesFlemington12f9.02:38.0J BardenThe Victory 2nd1st5 Mar 1903Champion StakesFlemington3m9.25:29.2J BardenGreat Scot 2nd2nd7 Mar 1903All Aged StakesFlemington8f8.11:43.0J BardenChantress 1st
Result Date Race Venue Distance Weight(St) Time Jockey Winner/2nd+ As a seven-year-old: 1903-042nd12 Sep 1903Spring StakesRandwick12f9.12:36.2Fred DunnCruciform 1st3rd16 Sep 1903Craven PlateRandwick10f8.12:02.7Fred DunnCruciform 1st2nd19 Sep 1903Randwick PlateRandwick2m 2f9.34:17.5Fred DunnLord Cardigan 1st1st3 Oct 1903October StakesFlemington10f9.62:10.0Fred DunnHauturier 2ndunpl10 Oct 1903Caulfield StakesCaulfield9f8.11:56.7Fred DunnAbundance 1st1st14 Oct 1903Eclipse StakesCaulfield11f8.12:24.0Fred DunnHauturier 2nd1st31 Oct 1903Melbourne StakesFlemington10f8.12:09.0Fred DunnLord Cardigan 2nd2nd3 Nov 1903Melbourne CupFlemington2m10.03:29.2Fred DunnLord Cardigan 1st
Stud record After finishing racing and going to stud, Wakeful produced ten foals including the 1918 Melbourne Cup winner Night Watch. Some of her other colts were Blairgour (1907) and Baverstock (1911).
Honours The Wakeful Stakes is a Group 2 race named in her honour, in which 13 fillies have gone on to win the Oaks. In 2002 Wakeful was inducted into the Australian Racing Hall of Fame.
See also Repeat winners of horse races
References
External links Wakeful's Australian Racing Hall of Fame Page