Otehi Prince to have wind operation

Press, 20 April 1988, Page 33

Otehi Prince to have wind operation

Otehi Prince is off to Massey University for a wind operation after a comfortable win in the Middlepark Maiden at Waterlea yesterday. “We just wanted to win the money for the operation. He has a soft palate which is affecting him over longer races. I think he could be up to good class once he’s right,” said his trainer, Bill Wyllie.

Wyllie prepares the horse for Tony and Carl Muollo, who are Welling-ton-based fishing boat operators. The win was appropriate for the Trenthambased trainer, who has trained or ridden 253 winners. He paid his first dividend as a jockey on the Waterlea course in the early 1950 s and won the 1957 Marlborough Cup on Ultimate. Otehi Prince was ridden by Robert Hannam who had mixed fortunes from

three rides yesterday. He also piloted the Steven Gillies-trained American to victory in the opening event the Sundowner Maiden, but ended his day on a sober note by finishing last on Red Spit in the third race. American had been a fair fifth on the first day, but different tactics were used this time, Hannam jumping the Australianbred straight to the front and he was never headed. American was purchased originally by Steven Gillies’ brother, Michael, for $12,000, but proved difficult to train and recently changed ownership and stables in the hope that his problems could be ironed out. American finished half a head to the good of Chambord, the Errol Skelton second string, with Folkstone a fair third.