Hazel Hill showed he was no back number yesterday when landing Britain’s opening hunters’ chase of the season for the stable of Shropshire-based Melanie Rowley.
He became the first winner of such a race to be ridden by a professional, in his case Lee Edwards, older brother of the horse’s regular rider, Alex Edwards. Amateur riders are not allowed to ride in races under Rules at present due to Covid restrictions on non-elite sportsmen and women, although a report in today’s Racing Post reveals that Alex has become a conditional jockey.
His licence arrived in time to take the ride on Hazel Hill, but it was agreed within the Rowley camp and by owner Diana Williams that it would be wrong to make a late switch.
The winning jockey (pictured above on Hazel Hill) said: “I may have ridden in a hunters’ chase years ago, but this is the first one I can remember. It felt like any other chase given the pros in the line-up, but with different conditions.”
Asked if little brother had given him any advice, Lee said: “Oh yes, he gave me a whole booklet of instructions yesterday! Thanks to Alex, the Rowleys and the owner for entrusting me to ride the horse. He’s still got the ability and plenty left in the tank.”
Hazel Hill with jockey Lee Edwards, groom Michaela Tallett and Phil Rowley (Alan Wright)
Hazel Hill was a well-beaten second on his season’s debut at Chaddesley Corbett, but some useful performers finished further behind. Reflecting on that defeat, the winning trainer’s husband, Phil, said: “Alex blamed himself, put his hands up and said ‘I gave him a terrible ride’. He thought he was going to pick the other horse up [winner Highway Jewel], but she didn’t stop.
“You wouldn’t rule out Cheltenham after today’s performance as long as he kept his zest bearing in mind he is 13. He won’t go under Rules [handicap chasing], and the plan is that one day he will become Jane’s [Williams] hunter, but if he can complete another full season that would be great. There’s no point going handicap chasing at this stage of his career – the old boy’s got nothing to prove. What’s the point of coming up against progressive six- and seven-year-olds and getting beaten?
“He can keep hunter chasing, possibly go to Cheltenham once more, and then become a hunter.”
Hazel Hill has yet to finish out of the first two in 21 starts since moving to Britain, initially to be trained by his owner and then by Phil or Mel Rowley. Phil added: “Lee said he didn’t think the horse is a fan of soft ground, which is something we have been talking about for years. I think he’s better on decent ground, but his class carried him through and Lee gave him a lovely ride.”
Conceding weight to all but one of his 12 rivals in Ludlow’s Behind Bars Open Hunters’ Chase, 13-year-old Hazel Hill joined pace-setting Ravished at the final fence and pulled clear on the run-in to score by four and a half lengths. The Joe O’Shea-trained Ravished finished five and a half lengths ahead of the third, Miss Seagreen – both the placed horses were open race point-to-point winners this season.