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.

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.

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 9 st, and ran a race record. Wakeful then went on to win races such as the AJC Plate and VRC Champion Stakes at three miles.

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

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.