Kennett Cup Harrier Races

Press, Volume C, Issue 29524, 27 May 1961, Page 5

Kennett Cup Harrier Races

TMPROVED entries have J-been received for the Kennett Cup harrier races to be decided at the Riccarton racecourse on Saturday. The total entries for the five races have risen to 323 from 270 last year, the most significant increases being in the junior and colts’ sections. Except for the junior women, smaller increases have taken place in the other grades.

Entries The entries in each grade, with those for last year in parenthesis, are:—senior 133 (126), junior 74 (56), colts 87 (61), senior women 15 (9), junior women 14 (18). As the first scratch races of the season, the events assume more than usual importance, for they give the first guide to the relative strengths of the clubs in the various grades. In the earlier relay events most clubs strengthen their teams by using their best juniors with their senior runners.

The senior race is expected to provide one of the most interesting contests of the series, for all of last year’s leading runners, except J. Williams, have entered, and several top juniors have since gained senior status. Last year the Dunedin athlete, Alan Potts (Celtic United) set a record of 16min Isec for the three mile and a quarter senior race. A feature of the race should be his clash with the former record-holder, John Macdonald (Olympic), who will be making his first appearance in the race since his return from the North Island. Last year Macdonald’s twin, Jim. was second. John Macdonald showed he is in fine form by taking fastest lap time in the University club's Hagley steeplechase relay, the opening event of the season.

Last year Olympic dominated the teams’ section by filling five of the first seven places and it seems from the relay events already held, that its team will again be first choice. In the recent Port Hills relay its runners gained fastest time on four of the sections. The Christchurch Club is set to make a determined bid in an effort to gain its first win in the race, .■which it has promoted since 1930. The visiting Celtic United team will be given a good start in the points by Potts. Other visiting clubs will be Leith, and St. Kilda. of Dunedin, and Timaru Presbyterian. The most favoured contender for junior honours is last year’s winner and provincial champion, A. Bayard. Second in the last race, P Betts is now a senior but the third and fourth men, T. King (Leith) and R. Allen (Presbyterian) will again be in the field, while three of

the leading colts last year, R. Reekie (Technical), first, W. Graham (Christchurch), third, and R. Harbison (Technical), fourth, will be in the junior race. A likely winner for the colts’ division is the Christchurch runner. C. McFadden, who gained the fastest lap time in the colts’ event at the Hagley relays. The leading competitors in the women’s races will again be competing, first and second last year in tiie senior race, were Misses A. Kennedy and P. Livell of Ladies’ Pioneer, and an addition to the field is Miss F. Perkins, who will be competing for the first time since her return from Australia. The favourites for the junior race are the Dixey twins, Margaret and Dianne, who were the first two home in 1960. The first race w r ill be the senior at 1.30 p.m., followed by the colts, juniors, senior women, and junior women.