NATIONAL WINNER FROM DISTINGUISHED FAMILY

Press, Volume XCVIII, Issue 28963, 3 August 1959, Page 13

NATIONAL WINNER FROM DISTINGUISHED FAMILY

Capet’s Invercargill ownertrainer, Mr W. E. “Bill” Hazlett took the gelding s Grand National win in his stride on Saturday. Collecting major steeplechase prizes has become common for the Hazlett stable.

Capets win was the latest of a long line of successes, including three Grand Nationals and most of the Dominion’s main events over country. But Capet’s win was an unusual one. even for the Hazlett stable, and not only because four of his strongest opponents were eliminated in the running. Capet is a former cripple which spent three months of 1957 with a le" in an iron frame after he had cracked a bone below the fetlock.

“He is a good, honest horse,” said Mr Hazlett, who was noncommittal about his victory. “We had the luck of the day. I don t think we would have won if Glenreagh hadn’t dipped at the last fence."

The jockey. W. J. Hillis, agreed. “Glenreagh ran us off our feet,” he said. “At the end they were both very tired horses.

“I thought I had Glenreagh’s measure going to the last fence but I wasn’t sure until he dipped. I thought he would have stopped sooner.”

Lincoln Steeples Mr Hazlett said Capet might •tart in the Lincoln Steeplechase on the last day. Last year Capet won the Lincoln Steeplechase after running second to Spring Fair in the Grand National. Capet is an eight-year-old by Sir Simper from French Lady, an unraced half-sister to the 1943 Grand National winner, Anglo French. His career has been remarkable. As a youngster it was suspected he had a wind infirmity, but he developed to win the 1957 Great Western Steeplechase. Two days later he broke down during the running of the Riverton Steeplechase but scrambled home for second.

Later he was written off as a racing proposition when it was found he had cracked a bone below the fetlock.

_ C a . P et was un< ier the Invercargill veterinary surgeon, Mr G. sunn^rt IrVln j’ 'i 110 had an iron rt u made for th e damaged thr»» wore the frame for hree months and it was a year th^° r r h V a w d again ’ He won year Great Western again last

a^ u I nn he was undergoing a third Great Western preparation when his owner decided to take no chances with the hard He was not produced at Riverton but was taken to Auckiand for an unsuccessful attempt chase Northern Steeple-

Chelandry Stud t ~, a P e t' Sir Simper and French Lady were all bred at Mr Hazlett s Chelandry Stud at Taramoa. Sir Simper was a high-class stayer which did most of his rac L n ? *n Australia, and at the stud he has sired some outstandmg jumpers. Capet and Miss Step, third on Saturday, are among the last of his stock.

French Lady was a sister to Colonel French, a good jumping winner. French Knight, a winner over country, and Sweet Lorraine, one of the best race mares sired by Sir Simper. Her dam, Lorette. was a half-sister to the good winners, Latin Quarter and Colonel Rouge, and was the granddam of Sir Percy, winner ol the Auckland Autumn Steeplechase.

One of the outstanding jumpers from this family was Noko. winner of 17 races, including the Wellington July Steeplechase. Noko ran second to his stablemate Anglo French in the 1943 Grand National and was fourth the next year. In an earlier decade the family produced Paris, a Wellington Steeplechase winner.

Astral Flame,, in 1941, was the Hazlett stable’s other Grand National winner. Placed candidates from the stable included Spanish Main, second in 1946 and 1947. Lisheen. third in 1948, and Free Gift, second in 1952.