Hazlett On Dream Million Dollar Chase Ride

STUART Hazlett remembers back to the first day he decided to get a greyhound.

“I was a kid riding my pony past the home of George Gram, but one day I got up the gumption to go in and talk greyhounds,” said Stuart, now 77.

“George had bred the champion Rookie Rebel. From that first day on, I never missed a day with George.”

George trained Stuart's first greyhound, a Black Top-Magic Jan dog by the name of Neat Fawn and at 16 months of age he won his first start and broke a track record.

FIELDS AND FORM WENTWORTH PARK FRIDAY NIGHT

Decades on and Stuart is still in greyhound racing and on Friday night he gets the thrill of his life when Has Ability (Fernando Bale-Bikini Cloud) runs as a $40 chance in the Ladbrokes Million Dollar Chase Final (520m) at Wentworth Park.

For Stuart, his devoted son Clint, and the dog's owner and long-time mate Andrew Fenech, it is a dream and one they will savour all night long … win, lose or draw.

“Clint is over the moon, Andrew is just so excited, and for me it is a big deal, a very big deal,” said Stuart.

Back in August, any chance Has Ability had of making the Million Dollar Chase were forlorn when he crashed to the track after winning a race at Nowra.

“On his way to the catching pen he was barrelled over and he ended up with severe bruising over his back legs,” said Stuart.

“I took him to John Newell who said he thought the dog had burst a blood vessel in one leg, but the bruising had come out in both.

“He put him on medication for a week, we rested him for three and started all over again.

“At that time, the Million Dollar Chase was the furthest from our minds. We were actually looking at the Black Top.”

A poor trial at Nowra ended those hopes, but a flying gallop at Goulburn saw him return to form with an eight-length win there in 24.52.

“At first we were looking at the Young Star with him, but finally decided on the qualifying heats of the Million Dollar Chase and he won in 29.82,” said Stuart.

“Then he cruised past that Group 1 dog (Umberto) to win his way into the final.”

Andrew Fenech had raced dogs with Stuart years ago but had a break until recently.

“I was leading a dog down to the start at Wenty one night and saw Andrew on the fence,” said Stuart. “We got talking eventually and Andrew bought a few dogs and then this one.”

Stuart did his best to talk Andrew out of it.

“Has Ability's mother Bikini Cloud is by Banjo Boy and I'd had a couple by him and didn't like them,” said Stuart.

“But, he bought the dog anyway, thankfully.”

Glenn Starr reared the dog and at 14 months he and two others Andrew had bought went off to Steve Keep at Grafton to be educated.

“Keepie told me he was easily the worst of the three,” said Stuart. “But we kept going with him. It took a long, long time to get him to go.

“At first he could not break 21 seconds at Goulburn but a few runs back he trialled 19.73 there.”

But go he eventually did, and Has Ability has now won eight of his 27 starts and earned $45,000 and has already been a finalist in the Group 1 Vic Peters behind Zipping Remus.

Stuart gives son Clint, 45, much kudos for Has Ability's success and the hard work around the kennel is usually all his to do.

“Clint has already done a Sky interview and has another one for later in the week,” said Stuart. “He is invaluable to me around here.

“With my aches and pains …”

Of Has Ability's Million Dollar Chase chances, Stuart knows from box five he is a $40 chance and facing a field of stars.

“I can't single one out that will be the hardest to beat,” he says.

“I have to say though that the dog has surprised me.

“I would have been happy to run in the Young Star and then chase the Goulburn Cup.

“As it is, we can still go to the heats of the Goulburn Cup a week after this final.”

But, there is a million reasons why Stuart, Clint, Andrew and Has Ability will head to Wentworth Park on Friday night for the race of their lives.