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

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.

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. Like Northern Dancer, Wilkes was a great-great-grandson in the sire-line of Phalaris.

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.

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.

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).[1]

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