RACING W. E. Hazlett To Sell All His Horses

Press, Volume XCVI, Issue 28369, 30 August 1957, Page 4

RACING W. E. Hazlett To Sell All His Horses

‘The Press" Special Service

INVERCARGILL, August 29. Mr W. E. Hazlett, of Invercargill, who races the biggest private team of gallopers in New Zealand and who owns the Chelandry Stud at Taramoa, has decided to sell his entire racing team and untried horses and all brood mares. He will also sell his Simper Lodge stables at Invercargill and his 1300-acre Chelandry Stud property at

Taramoa. Mr Hazlett said today that the English-bred horse, Callander, the highest-priced thoroughbred sire secured for the stud in Southland, would also come under the hammer.

Kurdistan, a second English sire which has been standing at Chelnndry, is held on lease by the stud. *

The complete dispersal of the stud and racing stables is expected to be held about the end of February next year. The Chelandry Stud brood mare strength numbers about 50, and horses in training, two-year-olds, yearlings, and untried stock, would number about 100.

“My interests lie in my Burwood Station and I have decided to quit my racing interests,” said Mr Hazlett. The decision to dispose of the Chelandry Stud and Simper Lodge properties, and its thoroughbred stock, will be a -severe loss to racing in the Southland and Otago districts. The name of Hazlett has been synonomous with racing and breeding of thoroughbred stock throughout New Zealand and in Australia for many years. The dispersal of Mr Hazlett’s stock next February will be one of the most important sales of its kind in the Dominion. A dispersal of Chelandry Stud was held «n January 28, 1948, after Mr W. T. Hazlett’s death. On that occasion, 100 horses were sold. Chelandry Stud was established about 40 years ago. Three Generations The Hazletts’ association with racing in Otago and Southland dates back to last century, and covers the activities of three generations of the family. The late James Hazlett, one of the founders of Mackerras and Hazlett, of Dunedin, raced in partnership with Mr John Stephenson, of Dunedin, / one of the founders of Wright, Stephenson and Company. They raced successfully for many years. Their trainer was S. Waddell, who later went to Hawke’s Bay, where, for a time, he had Mr W. T. Hazlett as a patron of his stable. Mr James Hazlett was an official of the Dunedin Jockey Club for a long time, eventually becoming president, and the James Hazlett Gold Cup perpetuates his memory. The next chapter in family history opened in 1903, when Messrs W. T. and L. C. Hazlett raced in partnership. Mr L. C. Hazlett, of Mosgiel, was president of the Dunedin Jockey Club over a long period and established the Salisbury Stud. . Mr W. T. Hazlett settled in Tnvermrgi 11 ■ He established the Chelandry Stud,' at Taramoa, in 1919, when he purchased the English mare Simper, and also Spring of Erin and Directoire. He became president of the Southland Racing Club for about 40 years, and was one of New Zealand’s leading owners with a big team in work at Invercargill. He also estab-

lished a second stud and racing team in Melbourne. The third generation of the Hazlett family to race on an extensive scale was the partnership of the late Mr J. S. Hazlett and Mr W. E. Hazlett, both sons of Mr W. T. Hazlett. Leading Owner-Trainer Since he won his first race with a steeplechaser Cultivator at a Birchwood Hunt meeting 23 years ago, Mr W. E. Hazlett has been the Dominion’s leading owner-trainer for several years. He has owned and trained the winners of 367 races and more than £120,000 in stakes. The stable, always with plenty of good jumpers, has won practically every steeplechase and hurdle race of any importance in the South Island, including the Grand National Steeplechase twice.

In -recent years, Mr W. E. Hazlett extended the activities of the Chelandry Stud. He bought the Nasrallah horse, Callander, and secured on lease the young English sire, Kurdistan. Callander, which was secured at a record price, was the leading sire in Southland, when his first crop were only three-year-olds. The oldest of his progeny are now five-year-olds, and in the three seasons they have raced they have made marked progress. Not long after Mr Hazlett purchased Callander, he refused a substantial five-figure offer for him from America, where his sire Nasrallah, is now at the head of the sires’ list

Kurdistan, which is held on lease by the stud, is another well-bred young sire, the first of his stock being most successful as three-year-olds last season.

Brood Mare Strength The brood mares number about 50 at Chelandry at present probably its greatest strength. They include most of the best strains of the great foundation mare Simper. Last season, Mr W. E. Hazlett was second on the New Zealand trainers’ premiership with his Simper Lodge team, with 30 winners—one point, behind the leading trainer, H. A.. Anderton. His team also secured 92 placings and more than £lO.OOO in stakes.

His principal winners were the three-year-old Pilot Light, which won the Southland Guineas, Tut Tut, which won five jumping I races, Capet, which won the Great Western Steeplechase, SkySlight, which won three and Montrose, which had four successes,

included three seven furlong! track records. Skylight (Imin 11 1- and Montrose (Imin 24 2- put up fresh Southland sprint records last season.

The Simper Lodge team over the years has played a big part in supporting the smaller country meetings. Its jumpers have almost dominated Southland and Otago fields, and a number of horses bred at Chelandry have played an all-important part in thoroughbred breeding in Southland.