Kawatiri turned out

Press, 22 June 1989, Page 41

Kawatiri turned out

By

JEFF SCOTT

The Westport trainer, Bill Blythe, is taking no risks with stable star Kawatiri after his inglorious run at Nelson on Monday and has scratched him from Saturday’s Andrei Winter Cup at Blenheim. “He’s got a cold and is a bit too good to take any chances with. He had never stopped like he did on Monday,” said Blythe yesterday. “This was going to be his last run for the season anyway,” he said of last Saturday’s easy Nelson winner.

Kawatiri goes out for a winter respite the winner of seven races from 35 starts and earnings of $36,825 for Blythe, who races the big Midshipman

gelding with his wife, Ann. Still on a C 4 assessment, Blythe says the weather on the West Coast will determine when and where Kawatiri will make a fresh resumption next season; “The spring here is our worst and it affected his preparation last year. We can use the beach but we’ll see how we go,” he said. The deeds of Kawatiri, Just Michael, Captain Lee, and Ankorman, have done much to rekindle interest in their sire, Midshipman, this season. Dynamic Lad was another promising type to emerge by .Midshipman, a 1:57.2 son of Meadow Skipper, this term. Midshipman, whose old-

est stock are eight-year-olds is owned by Clevedon’s Harness World Bloodstock, currently in receivership and his future is uncertain. He has left 24 individual winners of 49 races in New Zealand this term, while Our Navy Lady, which has rated 2:00.2 for 2380 m at Moonee Valley, Albe Seaman (in West Australia) and Admiral’s Rule, a 1:58.9 winner at Albion Park, have been his best winners across the Tasman this season. Midshipman, also the sire of a 1:54.2 performer in North America, in Zedechias, and a New Zealand Derby winner in Naval Officer, is a “very

undefrated sire” according to Blythe. “I would like to see him back in the South Island that’s for sure,” he said. Kawatiri is from a Regal Yankee mare, Imperial Yankee, which descends from an unlucky branch •of the Maud family, ancestress of such good winners as Leading Light (Auckland Cup), Royal Gaze (1:58.3) and Glide Time (1:57.8). Blythe is hopeful of another smart performer next term in Chrystal King, a three-year-old Noodlum colt, which won twice and was twice second in 15 starts this term.