Dillion Wilkes Now in Different Harness

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 443, 27 August 1928, Page 10

Dillion Wilkes Now in Different Harness

RETIRES FROM RACING HARROWING THE TRACK When Dillon Wilkes failed at the New Zealand Metropolitan August and November carnivals last season, to effect a come-back, he was given a good spell, but his connections have since decided to retire the gelding from racing. The son of Marvin Wilkes and Nona Dillon, who raced in the colours of Mr. Geo. McMillan, during the last three seasons, was a good winner for the Auckland sportsman during 1925 and 1926, in which year his record was three wins, eight seconds, and three thirds in 14 starts, his total 'earnings for the season being £1.400. Willon Wilkes, who was formerly owned by the Southern enthusiast, S. Hawthorne, and attended to by A. Butterfield, opened his racing career in 1922-23 as a four-year-old, winning in his two starts. At Kurow he won the 12-furlong heat easily in 3.41, and later at Gore won over a similar distance in 3.29. The following year he did not sport silk, but in the 1924-25 season the son of Marvin Wilkes was again produced, and soon got on the winning list. He put up a fine performance at Kurow, where, from 192 yards behind in a mile and-half, he beat all except Final McKinney, who was on the end. On a dead track Dillon "Wilkes went 3.33. Successful Season The pacer set off in the 1925-26 seaseon by acting as runner-up on four consecutive occasions, and it was after this that he was secured by Mr. McMillan > The Aucklander’s new purchase was quickly in winning vein, and three first certificates and several minor ones were handed out to him. After winning a mile heat in 2.16 1-5 at New Brighton, he visited the Canterbury Park fixture and made a name for himself by covering eight furlongs in 2.11 1-5, and this was followed up by a win at the Metropolitan summer fixture, where he got to the end of a mile and a-quarter in 2.45 3-5. Three seconds and three thirds carried Dillon Wilkes along to the end of

that year, his final appearance being in the Prince of Wales Handicap at the Auckland Club’s winter meeting, where he finished a close third to Imprint and Cardinal Logan, showing that