KEY POINTS:
It is not often a jockey is happy paying a fine but leading jumps rider Tom Hazlett had no argument with the Judicial Control Authority at Awapuni yesterday.
Hazlett won both feature jumping races on board runners trained by Mark Oulaghan.
Hazlett was fined $600 for his whip flourish aboard The Jolly Dancer just before the line in the $30,000 L J Hooker Manawatu Steeplechase.
He completed the "double" two races later with Counter Punch in the $30,000 Awapuni Hurdles.
Hazlett had good reason to celebrate the victory aboard The Jolly Dancer - it being his 100th career win - and he could not contain his delight afterwards.
"The best thing is that I'm still enjoying riding after 20 years and my best years have come after the age of 30," said Hazlett.
"The Australian Hurdles and Steeples are career highlights along with riding the Grand National double last year."
Hazlett was quick to credit the outstanding training skills of Oulaghan who presented both stable runners in prime physical condition.
The Jolly Dancer ran his rivals into submission in the Manawatu Steeplechase, scoring an eight-length win over Gauchito Bastado and the favourite Just A Swagger.
This victory was a drastic improvement following a battling fifth in the Wanganui Steeplechase.
However the training skills of Oulaghan had the 6-year-old at peak fitness for the Awapuni feature.
Counter Punch capitalised on a costly blunder by the favourite Gull to win the Awapuni Hurdles.
Gull was setting a torrid pace and fell two fences out from the finish, when appearing to have the measure of the opposition. This presented Hazlett and the rapidly-closing Counter Punch with a well-deserved victory.
Counter Punch took full advantage of a 4.5kg pull in the weights to overhaul the topweight Van Winkle to score by a length, with a further 12 lengths back to Gold Heist (third).
Counter Punch came into the race on a useful last-start seventh in the Waikato Hurdles in which he suffered bad midrace interference.
