Hazlett Team To Be Moved To Riverton

Press, Volume CI, Issue 29865, 4 July 1962, Page 4

Hazlett Team To Be Moved To Riverton

"The Press" Special Service

July 3. The Invercargill owner, Mr W. E. Hazlett, will soon transfer his Simper Lodge team flram Invercargill to Riverton. A property deal was completed during the week involving the Simper Lodge establishment and that of the Riverton property of the late Mr Maurice Corkery.

Mr Hazlett wiM take over Mr Corkery's farm and Mr Corkery’s widow becomes the new owner of Simper Lodge, the stables of which will be pulled down and the property sub-divided for housing. The change will take place almost immediately, and Mr Hazlett’s team of horses will be transferred to Riverton.

The Riverton property comprises 75 acres, a residence and nine loose boxes. Mr Conkery trained there for many years, and produced many outstanding winners

from his Riverton headquarters.

The Simper Lodge property. almost opposite the Southland racecourse main entrance, consists of seven acres, a modern bungalow, occupied by Mr Hazlett’s private trainer, W. J. Hillis, and a range of boxes. The Hazlett horses have been trained at Invercargill for almost half a century.

The late Mr W. T. Hazlett had his Gladstone Lodge stables adjoining his residence in Fiileul street for many years. It was from here that Mr W. E. Hazlett’s team was trained before transferring to the Simper Lodge stables 11 years ago. The Simper Lodge stables were built about 60 years ago by the late Mr E. A. Price, of Waikiwi. They were known as the Rorke’s Drift Lodge, after a top galloper of that name raced by Mr Price and trained by the late P. T. Hogan. The next owner of Rorke’s Drift Lodge was the late Dr. J. E. Rogeirs, of Gore, and on his death they were bought by Mr W. E. Hazlett. The transfer of the Hazlett team to Riverton will further reduce the ranks of Invercargill trainers. In recent years the extensive housing development in east Invercargill has resulted in many trainers being built out. Another well-known Inver-

cargill property to be vacated shortly is that of a former Invercargill trainer, F. W. Ellis, whose son, W. F. Ellis, has had his quarters there for some years. The property of F. W. .Ellis is to be subdivided for housing and W. F. Ellis recently purchased the East road property occupied by the Invercargill will gradually be Pankhurst. It would appear that trainers with headquarters at Invercargill wil gradually be pushed out.