Cover image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
Melbourne Cup Week is imminent, and Saturday could be considered a 'moving day' for several races during the week.
Alongside the G1 VRC Derby and the G1 Coolmore Stud S. Flemington's card will also hold the 91st edition of the G2 Wakeful S., the final lead-up for next Thursday's VRC Oaks.
Willowy was the last filly to win the Wakeful-VRC Oaks double in 2021 | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
Despite not holding the esteemed Group 1 status, the Wakeful S. has been an important race on the Australian calendar. Thirty-eight fillies have won the Wakeful and VRC Oaks double, with the last being the Godolphin-owned Willowy (Kermadec {NZ}) in 2021.
In memory of legend
The Wakeful commemorates the memory of the superstar mare. Trained by Hugh Munro, there have been few thoroughbreds as tough, versatile and good as the daughter of Trenton (NZ).
Wakeful won races like the Doncaster H., Sydney Cup, Newmarket H. and an Oakleigh Plate. She also took out three victories of the Melbourne S., later known as the Mackinnon S.
Wakeful | Image courtesy of Wikipedia
Wakeful was defeated less than a length, carrying 10st (63.5kg) in the 1903 Melbourne Cup. It took Lord Cardigan with 6st 8lbs (41kg) to deny her.
The race was deemed Wakeful's finest hour, with The Sportsman newspaper describing the moment: “Those who had the great fortune to be there on Tuesday can never forget it even if they live to be a hundred. It stirred the very soul.”
In all, Wakeful retired a victress of 25 races. She proved her greatness and rarity again as a broodmare. Wakeful's 1913 produce, Night Watch (St. Alwyne {GB}), was a very capable galloper in his own right, winning the 1918 Melbourne Cup and 1919 Caulfield S.
Night Watch winning the 1918 Melbourne Cup
On the opposite end of the scale, Blairgour, a son of Wallace and Wakeful, would win the Oakleigh Plate, Futurity S. and the Memsie S.
Key form reference from the start
The first running of the Wakeful was held in 1932 and won by the Equator (GB) mare Protea. The filly would be the inaugural victress of the Wakeful and VRC Oaks double.
The first New Zealand-bred filly to salute at Flemington in the Wakeful was the brilliant performer Golden Hair (NZ) (Limond {GB}). Taking out the second edition of the race, Golden Hair won the 1933 Oaks, giving the Wakeful a success rate of 100 per cent at the time.
Golden Hair also added her name to the honour roll of the Manawatu Sires' Produce S. and the Great Northern Oaks, among several other key races. As a broodmare, she produced the Avondale Cup winner Double Chance (NZ).
The third edition of the Wakeful is another piece of interesting trivia. The winner, a filly named Arachne by the Irish-bred stallion Corban (Ire), a son of the great The Tetrarch (GB), added her name to the Wakeful S. and also won the Ascot Vale S. now known as the Coolmore Stud S., the race in 1932 was then held for the juveniles.
Therefore, Arachne's feat won't be emulated in this era.
Rainbird wins the Cup
Heading into the '40s, the Wakeful provided several more intriguing winners whose feats would be almost inconceivable in the modern era. We also started to see winners of the Wakeful leaving their mark as producers.
We begin with the 1940 edition that saw the Marconigram (GB) mare Session first past the post and then claim the VRC Oaks. Retired as a broodmare, the descendant of the great Chelandry (GB) (Goldfinch {GB}) produced Brimses (Brimstone {GB}), a victress of the Flight S. and the Thousand Guineas, alongside the Lord Mayor's Cup winner Delwood. While the 1932 and 1943 winners, both sired by Manitoba (GB), Kelos and Three Wheeler, won editions of the Newmarket H.
In 1944, the grand mare Rainbird (The Buzzard {GB}) won, and a year later, in 1945, became the first Wakeful winner to win the Melbourne Cup.
Watch: Rainbird's 1945 Melbourne Cup win
Rainbird, as a broodmare, produced a handy filly in Raindear (Orgoglio {GB}), a victress of the Wakeful S. herself in 1963; she also won the South Australia Oaks.
Raindear was a successful broodmare with two of her progeny by Latin Lover (GB), Latin Reign and Rainburst winning stakes races, while the latter produced two stakes winners with one of those daughters, Dam Burst (Brave Lad {GB}) added another two stakes winners to the dynasty.
Le Grand Duc (Fr) was the first French-bred stallion to sire a Wakeful winner with his daughter Sweet Chimes in 1946. The filly was an outstanding galloper, claiming the Gimcrack S., the Thousand Guineas, the Adrian Knox S. and the VRC Oaks.
Sweet Chime's daughter Jingle Bells (Double Bore {GB}) won the 1963 running of the VRC Oaks.
More and more Champions!
Racegoers in 1949 and 1950 were treated to two Champion fillies, adding their names to the Wakeful S.
The brilliant Chicquita, a daughter of Blank (GB), was bred by Sir Gordon McArthur and failed to reach her reserve at auction, was trained by Tony Lopes and leased by Frank Dimmatina. Chicquita became a regular sparring partner to the Champion Comic Court.
Chicquita | Image courtesy of Graham Caves Collection
She retired with 10 races deemed as Principal races, including the VRC Oaks, the Thousand Guineas and the Craiglee S. (now Makybe Diva). Despite an extensive racing career that finished with 36 races, Chiquita proved equally adept as a broodmare.
The best of her two stakes winners was undoubtedly Eskimo Prince, the black stallion by Todman, who emulated his father by winning the 1964 Golden Slipper and added further victories in races the calibre of the Sires' Produce and the Rosehill Guineas.
The Midstream (GB) filly True Course took out the Wakeful/VRC Oaks double in 1950 but had also won the Champagne S. and the Sires' Produce alongside the Thousand Guineas. Eld, a daughter of True Course and Empyrean (GB), won the 1967 Wakeful S.
True Course and Bill Williamson winning at Randwick | Image courtesy of More Champions
A 10-year span in the '50s to the early '60s saw three truly brilliant fillies salute. In 1955, the Delville Wood (GB) filly Evening Pearl claimed the Wakeful/VRC Oaks and Queensland Oaks double. In 1956, Evening Pearl returned to Flemington to deny the great Redcraze (NZ) (Red Mars {GB}) in the Melbourne Cup.
The pretty filly and Champion Wenona Girl (Wilkes {Fr}) won in 1960 and was followed by another pretty chestnut Champion - Light Fingers (NZ) (Le Filou {Fr}). The daughter of Le Filou (Fr) would become part of racing folklore supplying Bart Cummings, with the first of his Melbourne Cups beating her much larger stablemate Ziema (NZ).
Wenona Girl and Light Fingers would both produce stakes winners as broodmares.
Wenona Girl | Image courtesy of Newhaven Park
Wakeful winners continue to deliver the goods
Continuing the theme of Wakeful, winners saw six mares make meaningful contributions in the late '60s to the early '70s.
Starting with the 1968 Wakeful winner With Respect, the daughter of Rego (Ire) was the dam of three individual stakes winners led by the G1 Newmarket H. victor Monakea. While the brilliant Toltrice (Matrice) was another outstanding mare to emulate her efforts in the breeding barn, her five stakes winners accrued 16 stakes victories.
Toltrice's daughter Vain Display (Vain) produced Keltrice, a G1 Lighting S. victor and sire of 11 stakes winners.
Toltrice
The 1973 victress Love Aloft (Romantic {GB}) produced the G1 Queensland Oaks winner Look Aloft (Namnan {USA}). The Showdown (GB) filly Leica Show (NZ) won the 1974 Wakeful/ VRC Oaks double and is the dam of the G1 Goodwood H. winner Leica Planet (Planet Kingdom).
In 1975, the Wakeful S. was held twice, and a Champion mare won one, while the other was an outstanding broodmare.
Calera (NZ) (Zamazaan {Fr}) took out the Wakeful but was a much better broodmare. Her 1984 produce Imposera (NZ) (Imposing) would emulate her dam in the 1987 Wakeful and then won the G1 Australasian Oaks and the G1 Caulfield Cup.
Imposera's full brother Imprimatur (NZ) scored the G1 Spring Champion S. The brilliant mare How Now (NZ) (In The Purple {Fr}) got involved, leaving a stakes winner.
International flavour
November Rain (Estaminet {GB}) saluted in the 1980 Wakeful and VRC Oaks before training on in 1981 to win the G1 AJC Oaks and the G1 Queensland Oaks. As a broodmare, she added some international flavour when her daughter Stormy Hill (Danehill {USA}) won the G2 African Oaks in South Africa. Stormy Hill also sired a stakes winner.
La Caissiere, a daughter of Luskin Star, won the Wakeful, Flight and Surround S. before retirement. Her broodmare career saw her produce Dashing Eagle (Danehill {USA}), who emulated her dam in the G1 Flight S. and the G2 Surround S. but added the G1 Thousand Guineas. While Beachside (NZ) (Crested Wave {USA}), the 1990 Wakeful winner, left a Group 1 winner of her own with Cannsea (Canny Lad).
Modern era
The excellence record of Wakeful winners has continued into the modern era. Hollow Bullet (Tayasu Tsuyoshi {Jpn}) claimed the 2004 Wakeful/VRC Oaks double and produced the dual Listed winner Reloaded (Snitzel).
Hollow Bullet | Image courtesy of Sportpix
Serenade Rose (Stravinsky {USA}) won the Wakeful/VRC Oaks double in 2005 and added the AJC Oaks in 2006. She would not produce a stakes winner herself. However, she would be the grandam of the dual Group 1 winner Trekking (Street Cry {Ire}) and the French Listed winner Egot (Ire) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}).
The Champion Strawberry Hill Stud-bred mare Tuesday Joy (NZ) (Carnegie {Ire}) won the 2006 Wakeful S. She is the grandam of the dual Group 3 victor The Elenora (Redoute's Choice). The brilliant Faint Perfume (Shamardal {USA}), trained by Cummings, took out the 2009 Wakeful and VRC Oaks double and returned in the autumn to score the G1 Vinery Stud S.
Faint Perfume has produced two stakes winners, including the G2 Adelaide Cup winner Good Idea (So You Think {NZ}).
Faint Perfume | Image courtesy of Sportpix
Rounding out our trip down memory lane is the much-missed Atlantic Jewel, the daughter of Fastnet Rock, who won the 2011 Wakeful S. by 7l but was denied her chance to win the Oaks with a hamstring injury.
Atlantic Jewel retired as a victress of the G1 Thousand Guineas, All Aged S., Caulfield S. and the Memsie S. at the elite level. Atlantic Jewel was exported to Ireland by Coolmore, where she foaled Russian Emperor (Ire).
The son of Galileo (Ire) was sent to Hong Kong, where he was a standout performer and a victor of the G1 Hong Kong Cup.
Atlantic Jewel | Image courtesy of Sportpix
Zardozi heads 2023 field
Eighteen fillies have been accepted to tackle the 2023 edition of the Wakeful S. Headed by the top-weight (57kg) - Zardozi (Kingman {GB}), the James Cummings-trained and Godolphin-owned filly will attempt to emulate Willowy, Ambience (Street Cry {Ire}) and Zydeco (Zabeel {NZ}) who won the Wakeful for Godolphin.
Zardozi is the first foal from the unraced Dubawi (Ire) mare Chanderi (GB). She was a 2017 Tattersalls October Yearling Sale purchase by Godolphin for 1,300,000gns (AU$2.6 million) and is the daughter of the Dalakhani (Ire) mare Silk Sari (GB), who won the G2 Park Hill S. and was placed in the G1 British Champions Fillies & Mares S.
Zardozi | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
The second-season sires are set to have representation in Saturday’s Wakeful S. with the Tony and Calvin McEvoy-trained Coco Sun, a daughter of The Autumn Sun.
The Autumn Sun is a son of the great Redoute’s Choice, the grandsire of the 2022 victress Zennzella (Snitzel).
Coolmore’s Justify (USA) will have Everlasting Kiss from the Trent Busuttin and Natalie Young stable. The filly is raced by Rosemont Stud and from the Street Cry (Ire) mare Tears Of Joy. While Aethelfaed will represent Saxon Warrior (Jpn) from the stable of the Sydney-based Matthew Smith.
Kermadec (NZ), the sire of the 2021 winner Willowy, will see his 3-year-old daughter Sentimental Flame from the Travis Doudle stable of Morphettville.
Sentimental Flame | Image courtesy of Racing SA
The filly was placed in the Listed Hill Smith S. last start behind Air Assault (Justify {USA}), who will contest the G1 VRC Derby.
Sentimental Flame is from the family of the 13-time winner Galaxy Star (Redoute’s Choice), also a victress of the G1 Railway S.
