Death of famous racing owner

Press, 14 April 1978, Page 1 (Supplement)

Death of famous racing owner

By

J. J. BOYLE

Al! Black, grazier, successful dog trials competitor, stud owner, and a racehorse owner on a grand scale — “Big Bill” Hazlett died in his home province of Southland yesterday. William Edgar Hazlett had been in bad health for several years, but to the end he was a man of action; he collapsed and died while attending dog trials.

His contribution to New Zealand racing as an owner for some 40 years was immense. His loss to New Zealand jumping, in particular, is immeasurable and it is doubtful if this country will see his like again.

Mr Hazlett made a modest entry into racing ownership and from the start his strongest affection was shown for the jumper.

Cultivator and Graball were two of his earlier colour bearers to win races over country. Later, when he took control of the, Chelandry Stud at Taramoa.l near Invercargill, he started to race in a bigger scale.! and from his stable, first at Invercargill and later at Riverton, came a steady flow of winners-on the flat and over jumps. In partnership with his brother, the late Jack Hazlett, he raced Sparkle, winner of the 1940 Dunedin Cup and a year later Astral Flame won the Grand Nat-

ional Steeplechase for the combination.

Anglo-French won the Grand National Steeples for the .partners in 1943. This was a partnership broken by the death on active service in Italy of Mr Jack Hazlett, and there was a break of 16 years before Riccarton saw another col-our-bearer, Capet, triumph in the Canterbury Jockey Club’s greatest crowd-pleas-er. Capet won his Grand National in the hands of Bill Hillis, who bowed out of race riding at Easter at the age of 52 after winning his twelfth Riverton Great Western Steeplechase on the Hazlett-owned Trial Run.

The Hazlett-Hillis combination prospered on all major New Zealand coutses from Capet’s year, but above all at Riccarton. There were further Grand National Steeplechase victories with John O’Groats, Koral, and Loch Linnhe and two Grand National Hurdles successes with Eiffel Tower. Koral might not have had the awesome reserves of stamina which -carried Eiffel Tower to great deeds on the flat, and over jumps, but he became the greatest of Rielcarton favourites by winning , the Christchurch Hunt’s IHomebv Steenlec.ha.se seven times from eight attempts

Such a feat was marked by the presentation of a oaintinv of the great grev to Mr Hazlett. Obviotislv moved bv the gesture, Mr Hazlett said he

regarded that as his greatest n omen! in racing. More recently the Canterbury Jockey Club paid its tribute to Mr Hazlett’s contribution to steeplechasing at Riccarotn by naming one of the fences on its steeplechase course after him. Eiffel Tower, rated by “Midge" Pidham as the best I stayer he has ever ridden.

t ( I s t s h h F t f < L g t i a i f < f c I t I c I t won the 1965 Wellington!' Cup for Mr Hazlett before! • being embarked on a jump 1 ; ing career during which he ■ recorded one of the most [ sensational victories in the ■ long history of the Great • Northern Steeplechase. He lost all of half a fur-’ t long when carried off the 1/nurse by a bhinderinpl , Kumai at the water jump on!

the first circuit of the 1967 Great Northern. But Bill Hillis got the Kurdistan ’elding hack on the course ;o give chase and amid scenes of wild enthusiasm jrought the six-year-old tome half a length ahead of tinglock. I.och Linnhe was to win wo more Great Northerns for Mr Hazlett after having ilso won the Grand National Steeples in 1974, and this Lomond gelding extended his ’reat record by capturing he Australian Grand Natonal in 1976. Trentham with its heavy ’round, did not hold much attraction for Mr Hazlett when he had his jumpers active on the winter circuits, hut he won a Wellington Steeplechase with Bright Blue, a gelding he bought jut of a Riccarton stable. The influence of the imported Tehran horse, Kurdistan, bad a big bearing on the fortunes of the Hazlettowned Chelandry Stud and stable. More recently Mr Hazlett imported Ixtck Linnhe’s sire, Uimond, from England and the English-bred Approval from Australia. The late Mr Hazlett developed many of his rugbv skills as a pupil at Waitnkf Boys' High School, and quickly earned selection for Southland. He toured South Africa with the 192« All Blacks and played in the home I against the touring Bi itisii I team in 1930.