THE POLO TOURNAMENT.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXIV, Issue 70, 23 March 1903, Page 3

THE POLO TOURNAMENT.

The splendid day induced a great number of people to patronise the Auckland and Remuera Clubs' gymkhana at Alexandra Park on Saturday. The grandstand was crowded with fashionably dressed ladies, and down in the paddock a mixed crowd of bookmakers and men drove a thriving business on every event. The management was in the hands of the following officers:—Judge, Mr T. Morrin; starter, Mr H. T. Gorrie; clerks of scales, Messrs H. O. Nolan and F. Yonge; clerk of course, Mr T. Brown; timekeeper, Mr W. Potter; hon. secretary, Mr E. D. O'Rorke. These gentlemen probably used their best endeavours to get the events off to time, and it was in all likelihood the fault of the competitors that the meeting dragged on for an hour and a half over the scheduled time. The following are the results: —

Bending Race.—First heat: E. O'Rorke's Ratanl, Taylor's Dainty 2. Second heat: Kay's Jerry 1, Wilson's The Heathen 2. Th?_d heat: Wheeler's Patty 1. Fourth heat: Baker's Diana 1, O'Rorke's Cinder 2. Final: O'Rorke's Cinder 1.

Polo Ball Race.—First heat: Kay's Cherry 1, Upton's Pumpkin 2. Second heat: Tonk's Ben 1. Lloyd's Manser 2. Third heat: BaK-ei-'s Chloe 1. Fourth heat: Baker's Diana 1. Final: Kay's Cherry 1, Tonk's Ben 2.

Polo Cup.—Tonk's Layland 1, Wilson's Topsy 2, Taylor's Gaiety 3. Time 565.

Potato Race.—Wilson's Topsy 1, Wheel er's Patty 2.

Ladies' Riding Competition—Miss Lloyd 1 Miss Cornwell 2, Miss Walker 3.

Hurdle Race.—Wilson's Topsy, 1; Potts' Colleen 2.

Ladies' Bracelet (costume) Race. —First heat: Mrs Tonks' Ben, 1; Miss Upton's Kiori, 2. Also competed: Miss Woods' BlufC and Mrs Bloomfield's Doris. Second heat: Mrs Lloyd's Mauser, 1; Miss Wtieeler's Patty, 2. Also competed: Miss Blank's Dinah and Miss J. Buddies Queenie. Third heat: Miss Maitland's Manlta, 1: Miss O. Wheeler's Jack, 2. Also competed: Mrs O'Rorke's Report, Miss Meredith's Mary, and Mrs Hanna's Scarecrow, ridden by Tonks. who won, but was disqualified for not finishing fully dressed. Pinal: Miss Wheeler's Patty, 1; Mrs Lloyd's Mauser. 2.

Electric Race (for trophy). Catch weights. Minimum, list 71b. Three furlongs.^—Mr T. Taylor's eh g Gaiety (owner), 1: Mr E. D. O'Rorke's eh g Ratan (owner), 2; Mr H. Cotter's br g Texas (owner), 3. Also started: Goldfish, Carman, Ruby, Nun, Flora, Layland, and Pretty. Texas got off the mark most quickly, but was soon overhauled by Gaiety, who won by a couple of lengths from Ratan.

Waterloo Melee. —An amusing and absurd competition, wherein each team of the competitor!, fought the others with fools' caps on their heads and inflated bladders in their hands. The Auckland team at last won.

Dr. Purchas, during an interval of the sports, presented the challenge cup to the winners. Mr H. C. Tonks (captain) received the cup ijor the club.