Racing: Hazlett splits Riccarton limelight with a great mate

Gore jumper Kidunot and Daniel Bothamley took a spectacular tumble halfway through the Grand National Steeplechase at Riccarton on Saturday. Pride was all that was hurt. Photo / Otago Daily Times

Mid Canterbury hoop Tommy Hazlett came to the rescue.

Just when it was going to be impossible to come up with yet another Mark Oulaghan story after the 1-2 Grand National result for the stable on Saturday, Oulaghan's great mate and regular jockey Tommy Hazlett publicly announced his retirement.

On one level the shock of the announcement as Hazlett was commentating on television late in the Riccarton programme was almost as big to Hazlett as it was to the racing industry.

"I had no intention of announcing it publicly then, suddenly, it seemed a unique opportunity to thank everyone that has supported me since I returned to New Zealand."

It had been a tough week for Hazlett as he remained injured and doing television comments work on the highlights of the Oulaghan pair Counter Punch and Yourtheman fighting out close finishes to last week's Koral Steeples and Saturday's $57,500 Grand National Steeples.

He could have been on either horse in both races had he not broken an ankle falling from Yourtheman at Manawatu.

Hazlett remembers the exact spot on the Rakaia River bridge more than a week ago when he decided to retire.

"To be fair, I'd been thinking about retirement for four years, but Mark [Oulaghan] kept coming up with a good horse."

Hazlett had held on to a faint hope that his ankle would recover in time to ride at Riccarton, but it didn't happen.

"I broke the cup that sits on the ball joint in my ankle and they've pinned it.

"I went to the specialist a couple of days before the Riccarton meeting and told him there was an issue with the screws and he said they will have to operate again.

"When you do an arm, a wrist or a rib you can get out and do things, but when it's an ankle and you can't put weight on it for six weeks you have to sit about inside."

Thinking about the work this left his partner, trainer Pam Gerrard, finally pushed him to retirement.

"Pam's a tireless worker and when I was driving home from the specialist I sat back and thought there's got to be more to it than just race riding.

"I thought: 'what are you doing to yourself'."

Hazlett has been used to tough decisions in life.

Like more than a decade ago having to give up the alcohol that had ruled much of his early life.

It's not something the former Southlander is totally comfortable discussing.

"I was a bit of a hard case when I was young, you know", is how he refers to it.

Like during his apprenticeship days at Mosgiel under Brian Anderton.

One day, the boss sent him to the corner dairy for milk and he reappeared three days later.

"I was a little uncontrollable."

He went to Melbourne for four weeks' holiday at the end of his apprenticeship and stayed 13 years, returning only twice: for his mother's 60th birthday and his father's funeral.

"I'd never seen a drive-through bottle shop until I got to Melbourne - they didn't have those in Mosgiel."

Hazlett was considered one of Melbourne's best jumping riders even in his troubled times and once off the sauce he consolidated.

For all the magical moments he has shared with Mark Oulaghan since his permanent return to New Zealand in 2003, he says the one victory that will stick in his mind above all others is winning the 2002 Australian Hurdles on the Eric Watson-owned Blue Star.

Blue Star was trained by Victorian jumping legend Eric Musgrove with whom he forged a close relationship when he first moved to Australia.

"But after a couple of years, Eric, in a very friendly way, suggested it might be best if I rode for someone else."

You get the meaning.

"The Australian Hurdles was one of those races when absolutely everything went to plan and it was a big thrill.

"It was wonderful to be back with Eric."

Hazlett says now he has got through the emotional turmoil of having to sit sideline on the Mark Oulaghan bandwagon he will face future retirement happily if not with relish.

"I'll just be involved in a different format."

Few television comments people in racing are capable of providing the insights Hazlett regularly comes up with.

The Grand National panned out as most expected.

It was almost a given that Awapuni horseman Mark Oulaghan would quinella the race with Counter Punch and Yourtheman and close enough to a given that only something like the official mark of 1 lengths would separate them.

It was a lovely winning ride by Central Districts horseman Issac Lupton, surely racing's most unassuming participant.

GRAND NATIONAL

* Tommy Hazlett steals the limelight with his retirement announcement.
* In the wake of the Mark Oulaghan Grand National quinella his great mate declared he's ridden his last race.
* A Counter Punch - Yourtheman quinella was nowhere near as surprising.