The Invercargill-based horseman has been with Ryal Bush trainer Nathan Williamson for almost a year, but traces his first involvement with the sport back to a random flick through the harness racing directory at home in Christchurch.
And what a flick it was. McIlwrick's 14-year-old fingers found their way to the ''Ps'' and landed on a name indelibly linked with harness racing, even if McIlwrick and his mother did not realise it.
''There just happened to be a directory lying around the house and it was luck to be honest that it was there,'' McIlwrick, now 21, said.
''Mum said that might be something you could be into. I flicked to a random page in the directory and said 'how about this one?' and pointed at Mark Purdon.
''We didn't know anything about racing, you see. We didn't have any idea [who Mark Purdon was].''
McIlwrick's mother had met Purdon briefly a few weeks earlier, in her role as a practice nurse, and said he seemed to be a ''nice sort of fella'', so McIlwrick gave him the call.
Seven years on, McIlwrick has received his harness racing education from Purdon, leading trainer Cran Dalgety, Southland stalwart Kirk Larsen and a short stint with Victorian trainer John Caldow, in Australia.
''It's funny you look back now and it seems too good to be true, but these things just happen and you're lucky sometimes.''
McIlwrick has been assisting Williamson, who leads the Southland trainer premiership with 25 wins, for almost a year. Williamson has handed McIlwrick plenty of chances, which has enabled him to collect eight wins from 50 drives this season. He had almost the same number of drives last season for a solitary win.
''Nathan's given me a lot of opportunities and a lot of trainers down here have given me opportunities on good horses.
''It's made a big difference and hopefully, you can improve and make less mistakes.''
McIlwrick has also booked his place in the New Zealand junior drivers championship at Addington next month, but that was not in his sights at the start of the season.
''I was mainly just looking to win races. After I won with a horse of Andrew Armour's and it came to my attention, I thought 'I'll have a crack at this'.''
''I thought it would be touch and go if I would get in, but I kept winning races.''
Williamson's faith in McIlwrick extended to a sit behind Given at Addington last night. The half-brother to group winner Larix was dominant at Ashburton on June 2, and was fourth last night
Rory's Oamaru drives
Liveordash (race 5)
The draw over the short distance probably isn't ideal, but hopefully, he can get a good trip through and run on strongly. He's got to come to it slowly, but he's probably better off just to watch for now.
Sure Sign (race 8)
She should be there or thereabouts in this sort of race. It's a big step up to this next grade, but she's got a lot of improvement in her in that run. She's not foolproof, that's for sure, she can do things wrong. But every time we've taken her off the place, she's done everything perfect.
