Wallace, one of the Australia’s greatest thoroughbred sires of the first twenty years of the twentieth century commenced his stud career at Bundoora Park in 1896.
By the champion Australian racehorse and sire Carbine from Melodious (by the imported Goldsborough), Wallace was a good but not exceptional two-year old, being placed in several leading juvenile events in Melbourne and Sydney, but it was as a three-year old that he recorded one of the most sensational seasons for that age group yet seen in Australian racing.
Wallace captured the Caulfield Guineas, V.R.C. Derby, C.B. Fisher Plate, A.J.C. St. Leger, Sydney Cup, A.J.C. Cumberland Stakes and dead-heated in the Champion Stakes (with the exception of the Cumberland, all of these would have rated as “Group One” if today’s system of main race classification had been in effect).
He was retired after being injured in his only start as a four-year old, and at stud over 22 seasons produced the winners of 949 races worth a cumulative £246,145 including nine Derbys (six in Melbourne), six V.R.C. Oaks, two Melbourne Cups and an amazing 12 St. Leger winners, each major state’s St. Leger then the autumn equivalent of the spring Derby and rated equally in importance.
His Melbourne Cup victors were Kingsburgh in 1914, setting a race record and owned by the influential V.R.C. committeeman, Mr. L. K. S. McKinnon, and in the following year, Patrobas, who carved out a piece of Melbourne Cup history as the first winner owned by a woman, Mrs. E. A. Widdis from Nambrook in Gippsland (although the trophy was presented to her husband after racing club officials prevented Mrs. Widdis from entering the mounting yard, refusing to believe that a woman could be the owner)!
Wallace came from Carbine’s first crop of foals; appropriately, he was named after Carbine’s owner, the pastoralist and politician, Donald Wallace. Despite limited stud opportunities Wallace was the Leading sire in Australia in the 1915/16 season; also finished second three times and third three times on the leading sires’ table.
Wallace is pictured with his groom at Bundoora Park, 1904
