---

---

The Wakeful Stakes is a Group 2 race for three-year-old fillies contested at Flemington Racecourse.

Held the Saturday before the illustrious Melbourne Cup in late October or early November annually, the Wakeful Stakes is one of nine Group status races that fill the card on Victoria Derby Day. VRC Derby Day is one of the only race meets in Australia where every race has Group status. There are three Group 1 races on the card: the Victoria Derby (2500m), Coolmore Stud Stakes (1200m) and Empire Rose Stakes (1600m).

The Wakeful Stakes is a 2000m event for three-year-old fillies run under set weight conditions plus penalties. Worth $300,000 in total prize money it is an excellent lead-up race to the highly prestigious Group 1 VRC Oaks (2500m) for three-year-old fillies the following Thursday.

The Wakeful Stakes results have been a good indication for the VRC Oaks over the years, with 15 fillies taking out the double since 1983, including most recently Kirramosa (2013), Aristia (2018), Miami Bound (2019) and Willowy (2021).

In 2020 Personal improved on her lead-up second as the beaten favourite in the Wakeful Stakes to win the Kennedy Oaks.

The 2022 Wakeful Stakes winner Zennzella went on to finish fourth in the Kennedy Oaks results at her next start, while Pavitra ran second in both events that year.

Victoria Derby Day on Saturday November 4, 2023 featured the 2023 Wakeful Stakes for VRC Oaks-bound fillies which was won by the Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott-trained Amazonian Lass ($10) in a narrow but impressive upset. 

2023 Wakeful Stakes
Date:	Saturday November 4, 2023
Track:	Flemington Racecourse
Distance:	2000m
Conditions:	3YO Fillies – Set Weights + Penalties
Status:	Group 2
Prize Money:	$300,000
Inaugurated:	1932

2023 Wakeful Stakes Results

• 1st: #5 Amazonian Lass ($10)
• 2nd: #1 Zardozi
• 3rd: #4 Harlow Mist

The Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott-trained progressive More Than Ready filly Amazonian Lass ($10) improved on her lead-up third in the Group 2 Edward Manifold Stakes at the track to hold on in a brilliant front-running performance to narrowly deny the beaten favourite in the 2023 Wakeful Stakes results. She will now attempt to become the 39th filly in history to do the Wakeful Stakes – VRC Oaks double next Thursday and has firmed into single-figures to do so through Ladbrokes.com.au.

	Finish	No.	Horse	Trainer	Jockey	Margin	Bar.	Weight	Penalty	Starting Price
	1	5	AMAZONIAN LASS	Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott	Tim Clark		11	55kg		$10
	2	1	ZARDOZI	James Cummings	James McDonald	0.1L	9	57kg		$2.20F
	3	4	HARLOW MIST (NZ)	John Sargent	Blake Shinn	2.35L	1	55kg		$5
	4	10	AETHELFLAED	Matthew Smith	Damien Oliver	3.6L	13	55kg		$10
	5	2	COCO SUN	Tony & Calvin McEvoy	Mark Zahra	6.1L	12	56kg		$31
	6	7	SUBRISING	Nigel Blackiston	Jamie Spencer	7.35L	7	55kg		$21
	7	3	KONASANA	Chris Waller	Ms Jamie Kah	7.65L	5	55kg		$6.50
	8	9	ZAMBEZI KHAN (NZ)	Guy Lowry	Billy Egan	10.4L	10	55kg		$61
	9	8	DIAMONDS CHOICE	Chris Bieg	Harry Coffey	10.7L	4	55kg		$41
	10	12	BON MISTRESS	Ken & Kasey Keys	Blaike McDougall	16.7L	6	55kg		$20
	11	11	ASPENADO	John McArdle	Craig Newitt	16.8L	3	55kg		$201
	12	14	EASY TURN	Patrick Kearney	Ms Madison Lloyd	17.8L	8	55kg		$151
	13	13	VIESTE	Benjamin Smith	Ms Winona Costin	18.8L	2	55kg		$201
		6	SENTIMENTAL FLAME	Travis Doudle	John Allen		0

Table Credit: Racing Australia.

2023 Wakeful Stakes Betting Odds

The top Wakeful Stakes 2023 odds and market links to the betting markets at Ladbrokes.com.au on the VRC Oaks lead-up race will be provided below the week of the race.

CLICK HERE FOR THE LATEST 2023 WAKEFUL STAKES ODDS (Final Field)

2023 Wakeful Stakes Form Guide

CLICK HERE FOR THE FULL 2023 WAKEFUL STAKES FORM GUIDE

2023 Wakeful Stakes Tips

Stay tuned for our insider Wakeful Stakes 2023 Tips on the Derby Day support act this spring.

• To Win: #1 Zardozi ($2.35 at time of publish) – BET NOW

Happy to stick with the favourite Zardozi who is at a deservingly short price to go back-to-back after a lead-up win in the Group 2 Edward Manifold Stakes (1600m) here on October 7. Won that mile showdown by 1.5 lengths and must now extend her brilliance to 2000m. A four-time winner from seven starts, the daughter of Kingman has upside and looks like she can handle the distance. Kept fresh with a Sydney trial in the interim and the airborne James McDonald comes aboard in another plus for favourite backers.

2023 Wakeful Stakes Field

The Wakeful Stakes field attracts a host of three-year-old fillies looking to back-up the next Thursday into the VRC Oaks field. Fillies competing in the Wakeful Stakes field may come via a number of earlier carnival races including the Group 2 Moonee Valley Vase (2040m) on Cox Plate Day the week before, the Group 2 Edward Manifold Stakes (1600m) or the prestigious Group 1 Thousand Guineas (1600m).

Amazonian Lass (3rd in 2023) was the last Wakeful Stakes winner to come off a lead-up run in the Edward Manifold Stakes at the track.

The official Wakeful Stakes 2023 Field & Barriers are announced by Racing Victoria on the Wednesday before the race and will be provided in full below.

The 2023 Wakeful Stakes final field features a talented line-up of potential Kennedy Oaks-bound fillies led in betting by last start Edward Manifold Stakes winner Zardozi from the Godolphin stable.

No	Last 10	Horse	Trainer	Jockey	Barrier	Weight	Probable Weight	Penalty	Hcp Rating
1	111×0071	ZARDOZI	James Cummings	James McDonald	10	57kg			86
2	11×960	COCO SUN	Tony & Calvin McEvoy	Mark Zahra	13	56kg			68
3	1×4214	KONASANA	Chris Waller	Ms Jamie Kah	5	55kg			71
4	1113	HARLOW MIST (NZ)	John Sargent	Blake Shinn	1	55kg			71
5	19×5053	AMAZONIAN LASS	Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott	Tim Clark	12	55kg			72
6	1×213	SENTIMENTAL FLAME	Travis Doudle	John Allen	7	55kg			64
7	04×12604	SUBRISING	Nigel Blackiston	Jamie Spencer	8	55kg			64
8	P8x6x122	DIAMONDS CHOICE	Chris Bieg	Harry Coffey	4	55kg			64
9	15×5712	ZAMBEZI KHAN (NZ)	Guy Lowry	Billy Egan	11	55kg			65
10	721	AETHELFLAED	Matthew Smith	Damien Oliver	14	55kg			63
11	634×32622	ASPENADO	John McArdle	Craig Newitt	3	55kg			59
12	5×416	BON MISTRESS	Ken & Kasey Keys	Blaike McDougall	6	55kg			64
13	919	VIESTE	Benjamin Smith	Ms Winona Costin	2	55kg			64
14	32	EASY TURN	Patrick Kearney	Ms Madison Lloyd	9	55kg			59

Table Credit: Racing Australia.

2023 Wakeful Stakes Nominations

Early nominations for the Wakeful Stakes in 2023 close the Monday leading-up to Victoria Derby Day with the full list of eleventh-hour VRC Oaks hopes to be updated below.

	Last 10	Horse	Sex	Age	Trainer	Hcp Rating
1	721	AETHELFLAED	F	3	Matthew Smith	63
2	19×5053	AMAZONIAN LASS	F	3	Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott	72
3	7×8525	ANOTHER YOU	F	3	Dan O’Sullivan	64
4	634×32622	ASPENADO	F	3	John McArdle	59
5	5×416	BON MISTRESS	F	3	Ken & Kasey Keys	64
6	11×960	COCO SUN	F	3	Tony & Calvin McEvoy	68
7	P8x6x122	DIAMONDS CHOICE	F	3	Chris Bieg	64
8	32	EASY TURN	F	3	Patrick Kearney	59
9	0512	ERSA	F	3	Ben, Will & JD Hayes	65
10	430	EVERLASTING KISS	F	3	Trent Busuttin & Natalie Young	63
11	1113	HARLOW MIST (NZ)	F	3	John Sargent	71
12	1×4214	KONASANA	F	3	Chris Waller	71
13	1×213	SENTIMENTAL FLAME	F	3	Travis Doudle	64
14	04×12604	SUBRISING	F	3	Nigel Blackiston	64
15	919	VIESTE	F	3	Benjamin Smith	64
16	43129	WINGS OF SONG	F	3	Patrick Payne	63
17	15×5712	ZAMBEZI KHAN (NZ)	F	3	Guy Lowry	65
18	111×0071	ZARDOZI	F	3	James Cummings	86

Table Credit: Racing Australia. 

Wakeful Stakes History

The Wakeful Stakes was first run in 1932 when Protea won the inaugural race. It started as a principal event run over ten furlongs and remained the same until 1973 when the distance was converted into 2000m with Australia’s adoption of the metric system. In 1979 the Wakeful Stakes was elevated to Group 2 status.

Many fine fillies have contested the race and high quality Wakeful Stakes winners include Miami Bound (2019), Aristia (2018), Zarita (2007), and Tuesday Joy (2006).

Wakeful Stakes results, winners and place-getters since 2000 are listed below.

Wakeful Stakes Results

Year	Place	Horse	Time
2023 Wakeful Stakes	1st	Amazonian Lass	2 minutes 2.13 seconds
	2nd	Zardozi
	3rd	Harlow Mist
2022 Wakeful Stakes	1st	Zennzella	2 minutes 4.75 seconds
	2nd	Pavitra
	3rd	As Time Goes By
2021 Wakeful Stakes	1st	Willowy	2 minutes 4.03 seconds
	2nd	Daisies
	3rd	Douceur
2020 Wakeful Stakes	1st	Victoria Quay	2 minutes 1.96 seconds
	2nd	Personal
	3rd	Tyche Goddess
2019 Wakeful Stakes	1st	Miami Bound	2 minutes 4.48 seconds
	2nd	Vegas Jewel
	3rd	Palumbo
2018 Wakeful Stakes	1st	Aristia	2 minutes 1.36 seconds
	2nd	Qafila
	3rd	El Dorado Dreaming
2017 Wakeful Stakes	1st	Luvaluva	2 minutes 3.99 seconds
	2nd	Glam Guru
	3rd	Rimraam
2016 Wakeful Stakes	1st	Tiamo Grace	2 minutes 4.44 seconds
	2nd	Sebring Dream
	3rd	Missrock
2015 Wakeful Stakes	1st	Ambience	2 minutes 4.7 seconds
	2nd	Beluga Blue
	3rd	Muzyka
2014 Wakeful Stakes	1st	Thunder Lady	2 minutes 3.4 seconds
	2nd	Abduction
	3rd	Fenway
2013 Wakeful Stakes	1st	Kirramosa	2 minutes 5.15 seconds
	2nd	May’s Dream
	3rd	Solicit
2012 Wakeful Stakes	1st	Zydeco	2 minutes 2.8 seconds
	2nd	Maraatib
	3rd	Transonic
2011 Wakeful Stakes	1st	Atlantic Jewel	2 minutes 4.98 seconds
	2nd	Rahveel
	3rd	Dowager Queen
2010 Wakeful Stakes	1st	Brazilian Pulse	2 minutes 4.27 seconds
	2nd	Placement
	3rd	Heartsareforlove
2009 Wakeful Stakes	1st	Faint Perfume	2 minutes 3.25 seconds
	2nd	Silent Surround
	3rd	Melito
2008 Wakeful Stakes	1st	Rocha	2 minutes 5.5 seconds
	2nd	Miss Scarlatti
	3rd	Estee
2007 Wakeful Stakes	1st	Zarita	2 minutes 5.8 seconds
	2nd	Riva San
	3rd	Katherine Gold
2006 Wakeful Stakes	1st	Tuesday Joy	2 minutes 2.7 seconds
	2nd	J’adane
	3rd	Anamato
2005 Wakeful Stakes	1st	Serenade Rose	2 minutes 2.5 seconds
	2nd	Astronomia
	3rd	Zenarta
2004 Wakeful Stakes	1st	Hollow Bullet	2 minutes 2.1 seconds
	2nd	Storm Alert
	3rd	Mango Daiquiri
2003 Wakeful Stakes	1st	Timbourina	2 minutes 5.5 seconds
	2nd	Special Harmony
	3rd	Dane Beltar
2002 Wakeful Stakes	1st	Hierogram	2 minutes 2.9 seconds
	2nd	Its Who Deanie
	3rd	Lashed
2001 Wakeful Stakes	1st	Quays	2 minutes 1.2 seconds
	2nd	Gold Lottery
	3rd	Li Lo Lill
2000 Wakeful Stakes	1st	Lolita Star	2 minutes 4.7 seconds
	2nd	Lang Kwai Fong
	3rd	Tanith