Wakeful Stakes 2023

Ladbrokes Tip: The Wakeful Stakes – VRC Oaks double is a popular spring punt!

The Wakeful Stakes is a Group 2 race run at Flemington Racecourse on the Saturday before the Melbourne Cup, held traditionally on the first Tuesday of November, as part of Victoria Derby Day.

2022 Wakeful Stakes winner Zennzella. Photo: Ultimate Racing Photos.

Victoria Derby Day kicks off the four-meeting Melbourne Cup Carnival and features three Group 1 events – the Victoria Derby (2500m), Coolmore Stud Stakes (1200m), and Empire Rose Stakes (1600m).

Also on the card are the Group 2 Linlithgow Stakes (1200m) for the sprinters and the Wakeful Stakes run over 2000m and open only to three-year-old fillies that runs in 2023 as The Damien Oliver.

The Wakeful Stakes is a set weights plus penalties clash offering $300,000 in prize money and fillies often back-up just five days later in the Group 1 VRC Oaks (2500m).

The latest fillies to achieve the Wakeful Stakes – VRC Oaks double include Willowy (2021), Miami Bound (2019), Aristia (2018), Kirramosa (2013), Brazilian Pulse (2010), Faint Perfume (2009), and Serenade Rose (2005).

In 2020 Personal ran second in the Wakeful as the beaten favourite before atoning with a VRC Oaks success next-up.

The latest edition of the Wakeful Stakes ran on Saturday November 4, 2023 as a key lead-up to the 2023 Kennedy Oaks and saw the progressive Amazonian Lass ($10) hold out the beaten favourite Zardozi in an upset for the Waterhouse/Bott stable. 

2023 Wakeful Stakes Results

The full Wakeful Stakes 2023 Results & Finishing Order will be available below once the Group 2 runs on VRC Derby Day, Saturday November 4, 2023.

2023 Wakeful Stakes winner Amazonian Lass was too strong in front scoring a nice upset. Photo: Steve Hart.

• 1st: #5 Amazonian Lass
• 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.

2023 Wakeful Stakes Odds

The season’s updated Wakeful Stakes 2023 betting odds and links to our markets will be provided below as soon as available so stay tuned for the best prices on the potential Oaks fillies in the Wakeful Stakes field this spring.

Wakeful Stakes Race Info

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

Wakeful Stakes Betting

Wakeful Stakes odds are led each Melbourne Spring Racing Carnival by smart fillies showing the potential to stay with winning form at least up to 1600m.

Previous winners in Group company over the season and those with a proven ability at Flemington Racecourse also feature high up the Wakeful Stakes betting markets, which are released on the Wednesday leading up to Derby Day.

Upsets are not uncommon in the race and recent winners to jump at double-figures in Wakeful Stakes betting include subsequent VRC Oaks runner-up Thunder Lady ($31 in 2014), Zennzella winning at Wakeful Stakes odds of $10 in 2022 and Amazonian Lass ($10 in 2023).

Wakeful Stakes Tips

Top Wakeful Stakes tips to take to the bookies on Victoria Derby Day include looking for fillies with winning form over 1600m and further, those proven in similar company and in-form Sydney visitors who have a good recent strike rate over the locals in the Melbourne Group 2.

Favourites only have a fair recent record, so looking for fillies that fit the brief further down the markets is also a good Wakeful Stakes betting tip, as is looking out for the last start winners of the key lead-up races including the Ethereal Stakes.

2023 Wakeful Stakes Tips

Our Ladbrokes’ insider Wakeful Stakes 2023 betting tips and Flemington racing selections for Derby Day will be detailed below the week of the race so stay tuned for the fillies to back and sack.

• 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.

Wakeful Stakes Field

The Wakeful Stakes race field attracts a quality line-up of three-year-old staying fillies, some looking to back-up on the quick five day turnaround into the Group 1 VRC Oaks (2500m) back at Flemington on the first Thursday of November.

Kirramosa (2013) is one of the more recent fillies to complete the Wakeful Stakes – VRC Oaks double. Photo Credit: Race Horse Photos Australia.

Fillies come into the Wakeful Stakes field including the Group 3 Ethereal Stakes (2000m) on Caulfield Cup Day, which last produced recent Wakeful Stakes winner Aristia (2nd in 2018) who went on to win that year’s VRC Oaks.

Earlier, Ambience (3rd) in 2015 and Tiamo Grace (2nd in 2016) were also Wakeful Stakes winners out of the Ethereal Stakes. Ambience backed-up to cross third to Jameka in the 2015 VRC Oaks next run. In 2013 Solicit ran second in the Ethereal Stakes, third in the Wakeful Stakes and third in the VRC Oaks.

In 2014 winner Thunder Lady also ran second in the Crown Oaks. Wakeful Stakes runners may also have had a previous lead-up in Caulfield’s Group 1 Thousand Guineas (1600m) the month before, and in 2013 May’s Dream ran second in both races. In 2012 Zydeco won the event on the back of a Thousand Guineas third and also finished second in that year’s Crown Oaks to Dear Demi.

Wakeful Stakes nominations close the Monday before the race runs on the Saturday with the final acceptances and barrier draw out on the Wednesday.

2023 Wakeful Stakes Field

The official Wakeful Stakes 2023 Final Field & Barriers are announced on the Wednesday of race week and will be published in full below so stay tuned to see what potential Oaks fillies line-up in the event.

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.

2023 Wakeful Stakes Nominations

The early Wakeful Stakes 2023 Nominations close the Monday ahead of Derby Day at Flemington with the full list of three-year-old fillies entered for the event to be updated below.

Table Credit: Racing Australia.

Wakeful Stakes Form Guide

The Wakeful Stakes form guide details all the must know information on the race and its runners including the jockeys, trainers, barriers and lead-up runs of the fillies in the field.

Fillies coming out of the race have franked the Wakeful Stakes form in tougher races a number of times in the past decade including Kirramosa (2013), Aristia (2018), Miami Bound (2019) and Willowy (2021) who all won the VRC Oaks next-up.

The 2022 Wakeful Stakes form was franked with the winner Zennzella running fourth in the Kennedy Oaks results at her next start, while Pavitra ran second in both races that spring.

2023 Wakeful Stakes Form Guide

A link to our comprehensive Wakeful Stakes 2023 Form Guide will be provided for punters below the week of the race.

Wakeful Stakes Results

The Wakeful Stakes race results have been dominated by smart fillies in the past decade, many of the place-getters from which back-up to finish in the money in the VRC Oaks next start.

Notable recent winners of the race include Willowy (2021), Miami Bound (2019), Aristia (2018), Kirramosa (2013), Atlantic Jewel (2011), Brazilian Pulse (2010), Faint Perfume (2009), Tuesday Joy (2006), and Serenade Rose (2005).

Past Wakeful Stakes Past Winners

Recent Wakeful Stakes winners and place-getters dating back to the year 2000 are detailed in the below table.