Wakeful was one of the great

Thoroughbred The Thoroughbred is a horse breed best known for its use in horse racing. Although the word ''thoroughbred'' is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thoroughbred breed. Thoroughbreds are c ...

mares of the

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...

n 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 A filly is a female horse that is too young to be called a mare. There are two specific definitions in use: *In most cases, a ''filly'' is a female horse under four years old. *In some nations, such as the United Kingdom and the United States, t ...

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.

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 The Oakleigh Plate is a Melbourne Racing Club Group 1 Thoroughbred open handicap horse race, run over a distance of 1100 metres at Caulfield Racecourse, Melbourne, Australia in late February. Total prize money is A$750,000. History The Oakleigh ...

, followed that by winning the VRC

Newmarket Handicap The Newmarket Handicap is a Victoria Racing Club Group 1 Thoroughbred open handicap horse race over a distance of 1200 metres, at Flemington Racecourse, Melbourne, Australia on Super Saturday in March during the VRC Autumn Racing Carnival. Prize ...

and then the AJC

Doncaster Handicap The Doncaster Mile, registered as the Doncaster Handicap is an Australian Turf Club Group One Thoroughbred handicap race for horses three years old and older, held over 1,600 metres at Royal Randwick Racecourse, Sydney, Australia. Although the ra ...

in a race record time of 1:39.75. Taken to Sydney in 1902, she won all her four starts including the

Sydney Cup The Sydney Cup is an Australian Turf Club Group 1 Thoroughbred handicap horse race, for horses three years old and older, run over 3200 metres at Randwick Racecourse in Sydney, Australia in the autumn during the ATC Championships series and it is ...

carrying the impost of , and ran a race record. 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 The Melbourne Cup is a Thoroughbred horse race held in Melbourne, Australia. It is a 3200-metre race for three-year-olds and over, conducted by the Victoria Racing Club on the Flemington Racecourse in Melbourne, Victoria as part of the Melbou ...

carrying the huge impost for a mare of which was 13 pounds over

weight for age {{use dmy dates, date=October 2022 Weight for Age (WFA) is a term in thoroughbred horse racing which is one of the conditions for a race. History The principle of WFA was developed by Admiral Rous, a handicapper with the English Jockey Club. Rous ...

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

Image: 1902 AJC Randwick Plate Racebook P1.jpg, Front cover of the 1902 AJC Randwick Plate racebook. Image: 1902 AJC Randwick Plate Racebook P2.jpg, Inside cover showing raceday officials. Image: 1902 AJC Randwick Plate Racebook P3.jpg, Starters and results of the 1902 AJC Randwick Plate racebook showing the winner,Wakeful. Image: 1902 AJC Randwick Plate Racebook P4.jpg, AJC traffic regulations and fares. Image: 1902 AJC Randwick Plate Racebook P5.jpg, Back cover showing entrance gate charges.

Race starts

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 The Australian Racing Hall of Fame is part of the Australian Racing Museum which documents and honours the horseracing legends of Australia. The museum officially opened in 1981 and created the Hall of Fame in 2000. The numbers in brackets afte ...

References

External links

Wakeful's Australian Racing Hall of Fame Page
{{DEFAULTSORT:Wakeful (Horse) 1896 racehorse births Racehorses bred in Australia Racehorses trained in Australia Australian Racing Hall of Fame horses Thoroughbred family 9-a Sydney Cup winners