“I’m going to miss commentating – it has been a wonderful ride. I saw many brilliant greyhounds and I met a lot of fantastic people.”
Fittingly, Wilkes was inducted into the GRNZ Hall of Fame during last year’s Annual Awards evening. He was extremely proud of his deserved induction.
“I’m totally flabbergasted to receive this honour,” he said at the time.
Tributes have flowed freely since Thursday and all referenced Wilkes’ gentle and caring nature.
Retired commentator and fellow GRNZ Hall of Fame member Peter Earley worked closely with Wilkes during the early TAB days, when both were involved in the Radio Pacific commentary team.
“I first met Trev when I travelled the country doing national commentaries on Radio Pacific. Trev was the on-course commentator at QE II. It was only a matter of time before Radio Pacific employed him to call full-time prior to the arrival of Trackside TV.
“He was always a nice guy to deal with – always cooperative. I never saw him arguing with anyone – unlike me,” chuckled Earley. “It’s fantastic and deserved that he made it into the GRNZ Hall of Fame.”
Fellow commentator Mark Rosanowski was inspired by Wilkes’ commentaries back in the QE II days.
“I remember going there in 1983 as a 15-year-old. Back in those days, the commentator was king. I got excited as a teenager, which made me want to have more involvement. Trev’s voice was perfect for greyhound racing – pitch and pace perfect.
“He was always a welcoming guy who never said a bad word about anyone – I was very lucky to know Trev. He was always so friendly and very evened tempered. He was always interested in the young talent coming through.
“His voice lasted beautifully over his 43 years of commentating. He was always so reliable. He earnt the full respect of his peers and that was there for all to see over his later weeks, as seen by the Trackside crew rallying around him,” said Rosanowski.
Recently retired Christchurch GRC manager Tony Music recalled: “Trev was always very well presented and I never saw him in a bad mood – he was a thoroughly genuine, pleasant man. We are all going to miss him. He had a great eye for detail, like the times he saved my butt and those of trainers when he spotted greyhounds holding back-to-back next-day nominations.
“Everybody knew of Trev’s love of playing on the roulette tables at casinos. They [operators] treated him like royalty. He was seen at the casino only a few weeks ago.”
Current Christchurch GRC chairman Murray Wigley was stunned upon learning Wilkes had passed.
“Trev gave his life to greyhound racing. He was extremely even-tempered and he never had a bad bone in his body,” he said.
Maryanne Twentyman was Wilkes’ immediate boss at Trackside TV over the last few years before his retirement. She held total respect for the commentator, regularly visiting him in his home.
“Trev always had a smile on his face and had a hello for all of his visitors. It was an absolute privilege to hold Trevor’s hand over the past eight months,” she said.
“Trev thrived being around the Trackside team – he enjoyed catching up with everyone at the commentator’s conferences we held.”
Wilkes’ trademark sign-off to his race meetings included acknowledging all of the Trackside team, from camera operators through to producers and directors, all of whom were involved in televising an Addington meeting.
“It was incredible how much Trev’s acknowledgements meant for the crew. He would never miss – naming them all, name-by-name. He supported everyone and formed a strong bond with the crew. You certainly cannot easily close the door on a tenure like Trev’s,” said Twentyman, while adding: “Trevor was a wonderful, wonderful man, just one of a kind. We will all miss him terribly.”
That respect that Wilkes showed to his co-workers was repaid in spades, with a roster being made to ensure he received regular visitors.
A hallmark of Wilkes was his willingness to pass on his advice to budding commentators. He did so with his replacement, the current Addington caller Andy McCook, and he was in the process of doing so with the new 20-year-old commentator Daniel Fogarty, who Wilkes had asked to speak to. He was on his way to see him with Twentyman when Wilkes passed.
And leading Australian greyhound commentator James Van de Maat paid a glowing tribute to Wilkes during his pre-race comments prior to the first at Healesville last Friday.
Wilkes’ mate and colleague Mark Rosanowski had this to say: “Trevor’s voice stood the test of time. He called all of the best greyhounds to have raced in this country over his 43 years. His commentaries are gold and Trevor’s voice will always be there to listen to.
“Trev weaved his pattern into the fabric of this sport that we love. He will forever have a place in hound history and his voice will echo every time we reflect on past glories. He was revered by all of his fellow professionals and there is perhaps no greater honour than that.
“Incidentally, that lovely race intro of Trevor’s was something his idol (and mine), the legendary Paul Ambrosoli, used at Wentworth Park in Sydney, where Trev learned to love the game when he lived over there,” recalled Rosanowski.
And those golden intro words: “The green light goes through to the control tower – the bunny is set in motion and they’re about to break!”
*A service celebrating Trevor Wilkes will be held in the Christian Cullen Lounge, Addington Raceway on Thursday, March 16 at 11am.
