CYCLING.

Auckland Star, Volume LXI, Issue 66, 19 March 1930, Page 17

CYCLING.

THE CASH RIDERS. RACING ON CONCRETE AND GRASS. PRATNEY AND PINFOLD RIDE WELL FIXTURES. March 19.—Three-lap Handicap, Stadium, 6 p.m. March 2G.—Five-lap Handicap, Stadium, 6 p.m. April 12.—Auckland Cycle Club's Carnival, Domain, 2 p.m.

Six races for cash riders have been decided within the past fortnight, two at the Manukau Cycling Club's night carnival, and one mid-week race, these being at the Stadium. The other three events were contested at the St. Patrick's Day celebrations on the Domain last Saturday. Riders found it quite different riding on tl|; grass again, after doing all their racing on the banked track, the one exception being W. Pratney, who seemed to be at home on both, winning a race on each. Handicapper Geo. Knight also found it made a big difference to his adjustments, too, and this was only to be expected. While the back-markers have been winning on the concrete most of the time, the frontmarkers came into their own on the grass, registering some very fast times and giving the back men no show.

At the Stadium. The first event at the carnival was a two-lap handicap, and in this W. Pratney made no mistake about winning, riding brilliantly. In the first heat the place-getters were G. Hall (90yds), A. Sercombe- (90yds) and J. McDonald (00yds). The field was fairly well bunched at the bell, but Hall shot to the front early and won fairly easily. In the second heat Pratney (90yds) made no race of it in the last lap, winning with ridiculous ease from two limit men in S. Arnott (100 yds) and F. White (140 yds). The final was a much better race to watch, but here again Pratney proved himself a good sprinter. The two limit men held their lead until halfway through the final lap, where Hall again went out fa6t, followed by McDonald and Pratney, the last named wresting the lead on entering the straight. He came away to win by two lengths from McDonald, with Hall half a length away third. W. Pratney has not done much racing on the banked track, this being his best performance to date, proving that he is very fit at present. He is one of the most improved riders in the cash ranks to-day, and in the coming season's road events should ride prominently, as he came into the limelight in the' last season's two road races. J. McDonald and G. Hall both rode well, but were no match for Pratney. The four-lap handicap provided spectators with much closer finishes in the heats and final. C. Wood (240 yds) held the lead in the first heat until the bell, when the field all bunched. Entering the straight it was anybody's race, but here McDonald (100 yds) and W. Mathieson (60yds) asserted themselves and finished in that position, with Wood close up third. The second heat was responsible for the splendid riding of Slater Hayes (20yds, virtual scratch man), who looked to have no chance of getting up with the ringing of the bell. He simply flew in this lap and, taking charge in the .straight, won easily from D. Fletchei (80yds), with W. Francis (80yds) a length away third.

Hayes Unlucky. The final was a eplendid race, Wood, the limit man, only being caught in the back straight in the last lap. Mathieson entered the straight first followed by McDonald and Francis, with Hayes coming very fast on the outside high up cn the bank. Just as he was overhauling the leaders Francis touched his back wheel' ' nearly bringing him down, Mathieson going on to win by half a length from McDonald, with Hayes finishing on again, half a wheel away, third. Hayes was very unlucky to receive the bump when making his final 6print; the writer marvelled at how he managed to keep up, and a less experienced man must have come to grief. Francis certainly bumped him, but McDonald looked as if he was also to blame, running wide. Mathieson had the inside berth and luckily steered clear' of the trouble. This rider is riding well since his re-entry into the eport again. . ■ *

The mid-week event on the Auckland Club's programme was a six-lap handicap, when eleven started. W, Mathieeon (60yds) was the virtual scratch man, and with three laps completed the backmarkers were up with the field. They rode bunched until the bell, where G. Hall (150 yds) who had ridden prominently throughout, jumped into the lead, and opened up a big break. He held the advantage gained' to.cross the line three lengths ahead of R. Clarke (170 yds), and F. Lowndes (240 yds) who had a good tussle for second, Clarke winning by inches. Gordon Hall once again led out with one of his characteristic final lap sprints, this time being successful; it seems to be his best chance of winning, as proved in previous races. Bob Clarke rode his best track race to date, as did Tim Lowndes. There two riders will be very fit by the time the road' season opens. St. Patrick's Day. Last Saturday saw the cash riders competing for the first time at this timehonoured carnival, and it is to be hoped that it will not be the last. The three events were run off without any hitch, which reflects great credit on the officials in charge. The racing was good, the riders giving of their best, which the public were not slow to recognise. The outstanding riders on the day were L. Pinfold, W. Pratney and A. Rose. ■

The opening event was the heats of the two-mile handicap. In the first the limit men held the lead until enter ing the seventh lap, Healey, 210 yds, having done most of the pace work. In this lap the back-men, comprising Pilkington, McDonald' and Francis, closed on the leaders quickly, and in the bell lap six riders were in a bunch. A. Pilkingtor., 80yds, of Te Aroha, led out and held his lead to tho line, to win by two lengths from N. Healey, with J. McDonald, closo up third, and W. Francis, 100 yds, fourth. Hayes, ecr, found hifl handicap too big to get up, K. Mathieson also retiring. Jim Harcourt, scr, retired in the second, heat also, for the middle-markers set a solid pace all day. The second heat provided a good finish between Pratney, 100 yds, and Pinfold, 130 yds. K. Green, 280 yds, n:ade play in front for six laps which told its tale from this out. Rose, 230 yds, led 'out from the bell sprinting well, but Pinfold and Pratney ran past him in the back straight, these two battling it out all the way to the line, Pratney winning by a wheel, with Rose three lengths away third, and' Sercombe, 220 yds, fourth. The final saw the eight placed men bunched at the end of the sixth lap, with Pilkington riding easily; in

front, and Pratney and Pinfold in the rear. With the ringing of the bell Pilkington etill held his lead, and Pinfold had moved up just behind him, with Pratney still tailed off. Pinfold ran through fast dovvn the back, ibut Pratney came like a shot from a gun, and with a brilliantly sustained effort got up to defeat Pinfold by two lengths, Pilkington the same distance back third. It was quite a coincidence that the three "P's" finished in the places.

Pratnev's effort in the final sprint was a revelation, his win being very popular with the large crowd. The other two place-getters both rode nice races, but it was all over when the winner got to them.

The mile event proved to be a frontmarkers' race, this being evident after, witnessing their efforts in the two-mile race, for they were liberally treated by the handicapper. In the first heat, A. Rose, 190 yds, rode well to beat N. Healey, 170 yds, with S. 'Arnott, 240 yds, third, and Billy Hills fourth. The time, 2m 15s, was exceptionally fast, being the best on this track for years, thus proving how the limit men were riding. The second heat placed men were C. Wood, 220 yds, N.' Whyte, 220 yds, L. Hall, 240 yds, and A. Pilkington, GOyds. In this heat J. McDonald was placed fourth, but was altered after the judge's attention was drawn to the matter. In the final, Wood and Rose were the leaders practically aIL the way from a bunched field, but in the last lap, A. Rose led out from the bell, and went on to win easily by three lengths from Healey, with Wood third, half a wheel behind the second man. A. Rose, the winner, rode well during - the day, and incidentally ecored his initial victory since joining the ranks. This young rider should go far in the sport, for he sprinted like Hall did the other night, right from the bell; he should make a good road man. N. Healey rode his best to date; he seems to be more at home on the grass than the banked track, while C. Wood is doing better with every ride he has.

Pinfold Surprises. The three-mile invitation scratch race decided on the points system, one point a lap to the winner, and three, two and one for the final one, saw. one of the biggest surprises of the day. L. G. Pinfold was the "surprise packet," scoring eight' points, with Slater Hayes four points, second, and J. Harcourt, three points, third. Pinfold registered one of the best exhibitions of unpaced riding seen for many a day on the track. In the fourth lap, going down the back stretch, he sprinted to the front, and opened up a big gap, the other riders being content to let him do so, expecting him to come back to them after a couple of laps, I suppose. But he didn't; instead, he put more daylight between them, setting a very steady pace. After winning four laps on end, the others began to wake up, but Pinfold was still riding as well as when he started, and took two more, and etill had a good lead. In the next lap he just had enough in reserve to make it seven on end, and Hayes and Harcourt had him. Hayes took the next, and in the final sprint beat Harcourt by two lengths, while Pinfold scored another point for third position. He rode a heady race, and was warmly congratulated by his fellow riders, the win being all the more pleasing as he filled a position of a selected rider who withdrew at the last minute. The race was looked upon as a "good thing" for Jim Harcourt or S. .Hayes.