Wilkes (horse)

Wilkes
	Court Martial, the sire of Wilkes
Sire	Court Martial (GB)
Grandsire	Fair Trial
Dam	Sans Tares (GB)
Damsire	Sind (GB)
Sex	Stallion
Foaled	1952
Country	France
Colour	Chestnut
Owner	John Kelly
Record	3: 2-?-?
Earnings	1,446,200 francs ($2,780)
Major wins
	1955 Prix Edgard de la Charm; 1955 Prix Sans Souci
Awards
	Leading sire in Australia (1963, 1964, 1969)
	Last updated on 19 July 2011

Last updated July 22, 2019

Wilkes was a French Thoroughbred racehorse who became a leading sire in Australia. He had two victories, over 1,500 metres in the Prix Sans Souci at Maisons-Laffitte and the 2,000 metres Prix Edgard de la Charm at Saint-Cloud, for 1,446,200 francs (equivalent of A$2,780) in stakes.

France, officially the French Republic, is a sovereign state whose territory consists of metropolitan France in Western Europe and several overseas regions and territories. The metropolitan area of France extends from the Mediterranean Sea to the English Channel and the North Sea, and from the Rhine to the Atlantic Ocean. It is bordered by Belgium, Luxembourg and Germany to the northeast, Switzerland and Italy to the east, and Andorra and Spain to the south. The overseas territories include French Guiana in South America and several islands in the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian oceans. The country's 18 integral regions span a combined area of 643,801 square kilometres (248,573 sq mi) and a total population of 67.0 million. France is a unitary semi-presidential republic with its capital in Paris, the country's largest city and main cultural and commercial centre. Other major urban areas include Lyon, Marseille, Toulouse, Bordeaux, Lille and Nice.

The Thoroughbred is a horse breed best known for its use in horse racing. Although the word thoroughbred is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thoroughbred breed. Thoroughbreds are considered "hot-blooded" horses that are known for their agility, speed, and spirit.

Horse racing is an equestrian performance sport, typically involving two or more horses ridden by jockeys over a set distance for competition. It is one of the most ancient of all sports, as its basic premise – to identify which of two or more horses is the fastest over a set course or distance – has been unchanged since at least classical antiquity.

Breeding

He was by the successful English sire Court Martial, his dam Sans Tares (GB) was by Sind from Tara (FR) by Teddy. Wilkes was a half-brother to two Washington, D.C. International Stakes winners in Mahan and Worden II who was also a good sire. Sans Tares was a half-sister to Norseman, a stakes-winner and sire of stakes-winners.^[1] Like Northern Dancer, Wilkes was a great-great-grandson in the sire-line of Phalaris.^[2]

Court Martial was a Thoroughbred racehorse bred and raced by Lord Astor best known for defeating two exceptional colts in Dante and Royal Charger for the Classic 2000 Guineas Stakes and as a two-time leading sire in Great Britain and Ireland.

Teddy (1913–1936) was a French racehorse and an influential sire, especially for lines in Italy, France, and the United States. He is considered one of the most influential sires in the 20th century.

The Baltimore Washington International Turf Cup is an American Grade II invitational horse race. Inaugurated in 1952, it was raced at Laurel Park Racecourse on the turf in Laurel, Maryland, at a distance of 1 ¹⁄₂ miles and attracted top turf horses from North America and Europe.

Wilkes was a tall, long-barrelled chestnut with a prominent white blaze and one white sock that was said to resemble that of his sire Court Martial and his paternal grandsire Fair Trial.^[3]

Fair Trial (1932–1958) was a British Thoroughbred racehorse and champion sire. He was bred and raced by John Arthur Dewar, who also bred and raced Tudor Minstrel.

Wilkes did not start as a two-year-old, but had two wins, in the Prix Sans Souci and the Prix Edgard de la Charm (1,027,000 francs) at Saint-Cloud, for a total of 1,446,200 francs (equivalent of A$2,780) in stakes as a three-year-old from three race starts.^[1]

Stud record

John William Kelly purchased Wilkes for £5,000 sterling in 1956 and imported him to stand at his Newhaven Park Stud, Boorowa, New South Wales in Australia. Wilkes commenced stud duties here in 1956 and was an immediate sire success from first foal crop, which produced nine winners including the champion mare Wenona Girl (won 22 principal races, 15 of which were later designated group one (G1) races.). He also sired three winners of the Golden Slipper Stakes, Vain (1969), John's Hope (1972) and Vivarchi (1976).

Wenona Girl was a leading Australian Thoroughbred horse racemare that had 27 wins over distances ranging from 4½ furlongs to 1½ miles. She won 22 principal races, 15 of which were later designated group one (G1) races. Wenona Girl’s principal wins included the VRC Sires Produce Stakes, AJC Sires Produce Stakes, George Adams Handicap, One Thousand Guineas, VATC Futurity Stakes, AJC George Main Stakes, AJC All Aged Stakes, AJC Adrian Knox Oaks Stakes, Rawson Stakes and Rosehill Guineas, all of which were later classified as G1 races. At the time of her retirement she was the highest stakes winning mare to have raced in Australia. At stud she was a good broodmare. Wenona Girl was later inducted into Australian Racing Hall of Fame.

The Golden Slipper Stakes is an Australian Turf Club Group 1 Thoroughbred horse race for two-year-olds run over 1,200 metres on turf at set weights conditions, held at Rosehill Gardens Racecourse in Sydney, Australia. It is the premier two year old race in Australia and is the world's richest race for two year old Thoroughbreds. Prize money is A$3,500,000.

His progeny included 45 stakeswinners for 121 stakeswins, including the following:

Attentive (AJC Gimcrack Stakes, VATC Debutante Stakes)
Anjudy (1972 AJC Champagne Stakes),
Blue Roc (1966 Queensland Oaks),
Bogan Road (1962 AJC Sires' Produce Stakes, AJC Champagne Stakes),
Bye Bye (1969 AJC Doncaster Handicap),
Emblem (1961 VRC Sires' Produce Stakes),
Farnworth (1964 AJC Champagne Stakes)
John's Hope (1972 STC Golden Slipper Stakes, VATC Blue Diamond Stakes),
Mansingh, won 1974 New Zealand Derby
Nebo Road (1967 VRC Newmarket Handicap in 1 min. 9.3 sec.),
Pardon Me (1964 VATC Oakleigh Plate),
Skyjack (1974 VRC George Adams Handicap, VRC Sires' Produce Stakes),
The Tempest (1964 BATC Doomben Ten Thousand),
Vain, an exceptional sprinter in Australia, winning 12 of his 14 starts and the leading sire in Australia in 1984.^[4]
Vivarchi (foaled when Wilkes was 22 years old, and winner Golden Slipper Stakes and AJC Champagne Stakes in race-record time of 1 min. 35.2 sec. for 1,600 metres),
Young Brolga (1961 AJC Sires' Produce Stakes in permanent race-record time of 1 min. 22.8 sec. for seven furlongs).^[5]

The New Zealand Derby is a set-weights Thoroughbred horse race for three-year-olds, run over a distance of 2,400 metres at Ellerslie Racecourse in Auckland, New Zealand. It is held on the first Saturday in March, as the opening day of Auckland Cup Week. The purse of the race in 2019 was $1 million.

Vain (1966–1991) was a champion Thoroughbred racehorse that dominated Australian sprint racing in the period 1968–70, when he won 12 of the 14 races he contested and ran second in the other two. He went on to become a leading sire in Australia.

Wilkes was humanely destroyed at the age of 24 years on 20 May 1976 after developing a bladder infection. A 21st season of 18 specially selected mares had been nominated at a fee of $6,000 with a live foal guarantee.^[3]

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References

1 2 Ward (recorder), Frederick R. (1974). Australian Register of Thoroughbred Stallions. Sydney: Excelsis Press. p. 346.
↑ Morris, Simon; Tesio Power 2000 - Stallions of the World, Syntax Software
1 2 du Bourg, Ross (1980). The Australian and New Zealand Thoroughbred. Melbourne: Thomas Nelson. pp. 160–162. ISBN 0 17 005860 3.
↑ Pring, Peter (1977). Analysis of Champion Racehorses. The Thoroughbred Press. ISBN 0-908133-00-6.
↑ "Wilkes (FR)". Australian Stud Book. Australian Turf Club Limited and Victoria Racing Club Limited. Retrieved 19 July 2011.

External links

Wilkes' pedigree and partial racing stats

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[ARTS-1] 1 2 Ward (recorder), Frederick R. (1974). Australian Register of Thoroughbred Stallions. Sydney: Excelsis Press. p. 346.

[Morris-2] Morris, Simon; Tesio Power 2000 - Stallions of the World, Syntax Software

[du_Bourg-3] 1 2 du Bourg, Ross (1980). The Australian and New Zealand Thoroughbred. Melbourne: Thomas Nelson. pp. 160–162. ISBN 0 17 005860 3.

[4] Pring, Peter (1977). Analysis of Champion Racehorses. The Thoroughbred Press. ISBN 0-908133-00-6.

[5] "Wilkes (FR)". Australian Stud Book. Australian Turf Club Limited and Victoria Racing Club Limited. Retrieved 19 July 2011.