Wakeful (horse)

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.[1]

Wakeful
SireTrenton (NZ)
GrandsireMusket (GB)
DamInsomnia
DamsireRobinson Crusoe
SexMare
Foaled1896
CountryAustralia
ColourBay
BreederSt Albans Stud, Geelong
OwnerC. Leslie Macdonald, Victoria[1]
TrainerHugh Munro
Record44: 25-12-4
Earnings£16,690[1]
Major wins
Oakleigh Plate (1901)
Newmarket Handicap (1901)
Doncaster Handicap (1901)
Caulfield Stakes (1901, 1902)
Melbourne Stakes (1901, 1902, 1903)
St George Stakes (1902)
Essendon Stakes (1902, 1903)
VRC All Aged Stakes (1902)
AJC Autumn Stakes (1902)
Sydney Cup (1902)
AJC All Aged Stakes (1902)
AJC Plate (1902)
AJC Spring Stakes (1902)
AJC Craven Plate (1902)
Randwick Plate (1902)
C.B.Fisher Plate (1902)
October Stakes (1903)
VRC Champion Stakes (1903)
Honours
Australian Racing Hall of Fame (2002)
VRC Wakeful Stakes
Last updated on 20 September 2010

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.[1] She was offered at the St Aubins stud dispersal sale in 1900 and purchased by Leslie Macdonald for the bargain price of 310 guineas.[2]

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.[3]

Taken to Sydney in 1902, she won all her four starts including the Sydney Cup carrying the impost of 9 stone 7 pounds (60 kg), and ran a race record.[4] Wakeful then went on to win races such as the AJC Plate and VRC Champion Stakes at three miles.[5]

At her last start she ran second in the 1903 VRC Melbourne Cup carrying the huge impost for a mare of 10 stone (64 kg) which was 13 pounds over weight for age and conceded the winner Lord Cardigan 3 st 6 lb (22 kg).[6] Previously no mare had carried more than 9 st 7 lb and none of them finished in the first six.[7] In all she had 44 starts, winning 25 races, was second 12 times and third 4 times.[1]

1902 Racebook
  • Front cover of the 1902 AJC Randwick Plate racebook.
    Front cover of the 1902 AJC Randwick Plate racebook.
  • Inside cover showing raceday officials.
    Inside cover showing raceday officials.
  • Starters and results of the 1902 AJC Randwick Plate racebook showing the winner,Wakeful.
    Starters and results of the 1902 AJC Randwick Plate racebook showing the winner,Wakeful.
  • AJC traffic regulations and fares.
    AJC traffic regulations and fares.
  • Back cover showing entrance gate charges.
    Back cover showing entrance gate charges.

Race starts
Result
 Date
 Race
 Venue
 Distance
 Weight(St)
 Time
 Jockey
 Winner/2nd
As a four-year-old: 1900-01
2nd 1 Sep 1900 Doona Trial Caulfield 5f 6.1 1:05.2 Fred Dunn Ralph 1st
unpl 6 Oct 1900 Paddock Handicap Flemington 6f 7.3 1:16.7 Fred Dunn Cillagoe 1st
1st 9 Feb 1901 Oakleigh Plate Caulfield 5½f 6.9 1:08.0 Fred Dunn Songbird 2nd
1st 2 Mar 1901 Newmarket Handicap Flemington 6f 7.6 1:15.7 Fred Dunn Fulminate 2nd
1st 6 Apr 1901 Doncaster Handicap Randwick 8f 7.1 1:39.7 S Angwin Ferryman 2nd
3rd 8 Apr 1901 Sydney Cup Randwick 2m 7.1 3:32.0 S Angwin San Fran 1st
Result
 Date
 Race
 Venue
 Distance
 Weight(St)
 Time
 Jockey
 Winner/2nd
As a five-year-old: 1901-02
1st 12 Oct 1901 Caulfield Stakes Caulfield 9f 8.1 1:58.2 Fred Dunn Hymettus 2nd
2nd 19 Oct 1901 Caulfield Cup Caulfield 12f 9.0 2:35.7 Fred Dunn Hymettus 1st
1st 2 Nov 1901 Melbourne Stakes Flemington 10f 8.1 2:09.2 Fred Dunn San Fran 2nd
unpl 5 Nov 1901 Melbourne Cup Flemington 2m 8.1 3:30.5 S Anwin Revenue 1st
2nd 7 Nov 1901 Flying Stakes Flemington 7f 8.1 1:28.5 Fred Dunn Sequence 1st
1st 15 Feb 1902 St George Stakes Caulfield 9f 8.1 1:44.0 Fred Dunn Combat 2nd
2nd 22 Feb 1902 Futurity Stakes Caulfield 7f 9.1 1:28.5 Fred Dunn Sir Foote 1st
1st 1 Mar 1902 Essendon Stakes Flemington 12f 9.0 2:37.0 Fred Dunn Barbarossa 2nd
2nd 6 Mar 1902 Champion Stakes Flemington 3m 9.2 5:43.7 Fred Dunn La Carabine 1st
1st 8 Mar 1902 All Aged Stakes Flemington 8f 8.1 1:40.2 Fred Dunn Bonny Chief 2nd
3rd 8 Mar 1902 Loch Plate Flemington 14f 9.5 3:07.0 Fred Dunn Blue Metal 1st
1st 29 Mar 1902 Autumn Stakes Randwick 12f 9.0 2:38.5 Fred Dunn Blue Metal 2nd
1st 31 Mar 1902 Sydney Cup Randwick 2m 9.7 3:28.0 Fred Dunn Acetine 2nd
1st 2 Apr 1902 All Aged Stakes Randwick 8f 8.1 1:39.5 Fred Dunn Sir Leonard 2nd
1st 5 Apr 1902 AJC Plate Randwick 3m 9.3 5:36.5 J Barden Haymaker 2nd
Result
 Date
 Race
 Venue
 Distance
 Weight(St)
 Time
 Jockey
 Winner/2nd
As a six-year-old: 1902-03
1st 6 Sep 1902 Spring Stakes Randwick 12f 9.1 2:38.2 Fred Dunn Sir Leonard 2nd
1st 10 Sep 1902 Craven Plate Randwick 10f 8.1 2:08.0 Fred Dunn Sir Leonard 2nd
1st 13 Sep 1902 Randwick Plate Randwick 2m 2f 9.3 4:04.5 Fred Dunn Blue Metal 2nd
2nd 4 Oct 1902 October Stakes Flemington 10f 9.5 2:08.7 Fred Dunn Strata Florida 1st
1st 11 Oct 1902 Caulfield Stakes Caulfield 9f 8.3 1:57.0 Fred Dunn Abundance 2nd
1st 13 Oct 1902 Eclipse Stakes Caulfield 11f 9.4 2:26.0 Fred Dunn Air Motor 2nd
1st 1 Nov 1902 Melbourne Stakes Flemington 10f 8.1 2:08.2 Fred Dunn The Victory 2nd
2nd 6 Nov 1902 Flying Stakes Flemington 7f 8.1 1:26.7 Fred Dunn Ibex 1st
1st 8 Nov 1902 CB Fisher Plate Flemington 12f 9.0 2:37.2 Fred Dunn Great Scot 2nd
2nd 7 Feb 1903 St George Stakes Caulfield 8f 8.1 1:41.5 J Barden Footbolt 1st
1st 14 Feb 1903 St Hellier Stakes Caulfield 9f 9.6 1:57.5 J Barden Purser 2nd
3rd 21 Feb 1903 Futurity Stakes Caulfield 7f 9.1 1:28.2 J Barden Sir Leonard 1st
1st 18 Feb 1903 Essendon Stakes Flemington 12f 9.0 2:38.0 J Barden The Victory 2nd
1st 5 Mar 1903 Champion Stakes Flemington 3m 9.2 5:29.2 J Barden Great Scot 2nd
2nd 7 Mar 1903 All Aged Stakes Flemington 8f 8.1 1:43.0 J Barden Chantress 1st
Result
 Date
 Race
 Venue
 Distance
 Weight(St)
 Time
 Jockey
 Winner/2nd
As a seven-year-old: 1903-04
2nd 12 Sep 1903 Spring Stakes Randwick 12f 9.1 2:36.2 Fred Dunn Cruciform 1st
3rd 16 Sep 1903 Craven Plate Randwick 10f 8.1 2:02.7 Fred Dunn Cruciform 1st
2nd 19 Sep 1903 Randwick Plate Randwick 2m 2f 9.3 4:17.5 Fred Dunn Lord Cardigan 1st
1st 3 Oct 1903 October Stakes Flemington 10f 9.6 2:10.0 Fred Dunn Hauturier 2nd
unpl 10 Oct 1903 Caulfield Stakes Caulfield 9f 8.1 1:56.7 Fred Dunn Abundance 1st
1st 14 Oct 1903 Eclipse Stakes Caulfield 11f 8.1 2:24.0 Fred Dunn Hauturier 2nd
1st 31 Oct 1903 Melbourne Stakes Flemington 10f 8.1 2:09.0 Fred Dunn Lord Cardigan 2nd
2nd 3 Nov 1903 Melbourne Cup Flemington 2m 10.0 3:29.2 Fred Dunn Lord 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).[1]

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

References
  1. Barrie, Douglas M., The Australian Bloodhorse, Angus & Robertson, Sydney, 1956
  2. HoF: Wakeful Retrieved 2010-9-20
  3. "Doncaster Handicap won by Wakeful". The Argus, Melbourne. 8 April 1901. Retrieved 23 December 2010.
  4. John Hogan, Wakeful – a grand mare, p. 91, Racetrack magazine, December 1981
  5. Pring, Peter; "Analysis of Champion Racehorses", The Thoroughbred Press, Sydney, 1977, ISBN 0-908133-00-6
  6. "Great performance by Wakeful". Sydney Morning Herald. 4 November 1903. Retrieved 23 December 2010.
  7. Cavanough, Maurice, The Melbourne Cup, Jack Pollard P/L, North Sydney, 1976
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