CYCLING First Meeting At Denton Park

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30106, 15 April 1963, Page 13

CYCLING First Meeting At Denton Park

The chairman of the Paparua County Council (Mr J. Weaver) formally opened the new cycling track at Denton Park, Hornby, on Saturday afternoon. Mr Weaver said the sports arena would not be used for cycling only and he hoped to see athletic meetings held there too. It was second to none in Christchurch and he hoped that if the Empire Games came to Christchurch in 1970 that the facilities at Denton Park would be used, Mr Weaver said.

Mr D. Hewer president of the Hornby Cash Cycling Club, said that he was pleased to see the track had become a realty after many years of negotiating. TTie public, not only of Hornby but also of the surrounding districts, should see some of the finert snorts meetings ever held in Canterbury staged in this arena.

He thanked the council for giving the district such a fine track and also those who had worked to organise the first meeting on the track on Saturday. This meeting was conducted by the Hornby Cash Cycle Club and the times recorded proved the track to be one of the fastest in New Zealand Banked to an angle of 45 deg. and exactly a quarter oi a mile round, the track folßtvs international standards.

Some riders were unaccustomed to the high-banked track and they were having a little difficulty in mastering it.

It was unfortunate that the opening of this track should have been at the close of the season but next season some outstanding meetings should be run here

A large crowd supported the opening meeting and there were two star performers. R. Johnstone (Auckland), captain of the New Zealand Empire Games road team at Perth, and J. Bigwood, also of Auckland, who was run-ner-up in the national sprint championship early last month

The race for former riders was called the “Has Been’s.” This was a misnomer, for when K. Giles, who has been out of racing for a number of years returned a time of 3O.Bsec for the quarter mile it showed he has lost little of his old dash Giles only managed to gain the decision right on the line from a rider of many years ago, A. Ritchie

D Swanston, who rode with distinction, really thrilled the crowd when he swung high on the bankings to gain speed on the downward runs K Jeffery put up a sterling performance to win the two-niile handicap race, the premier event on the programme.

Riding from the 55-yard mark, he was soon in the bunch with the back-markers, who made up ground fast in the early stages. These Sackmen had to ride exceptionally hard to get up as they were giving away 400 yards at the start It was not until entering the last banking that they made contact and then Jeffery rode wide to go round the field and only managed to gam the decision by a tyre from M Witford, who seemed to have the race in hand

The amateur events were ridden at a very fast pace but the front markers in the handicap event were given far too long a mark which gave the back-men no chance of getting up. Most of the events were won by middle markers

Amateur riders made attempts at a flying quarter mile and three of them, R Johnstone. J Bigwood and D Gutry all returned 26sec for the distance, which is only twb seconds slower than tiie world record held by Reg Harris, of England. Both Johnstone and Bigwood said at die conclusion of the meeting that the track was the finest they had ridden on Results were: Cash Events Half-mile Club Handicap.—W Woodgate (afods) 1. J. Crofts lOovds, 2. N Woodgate (60yds) 3 Time. 56.6 One-tap Sprints.—K. Jeffery beat W. Whiston < Dunedin). Time, 13.4. F Hooper beat T. Cameron. Time. 133. Final: Hooper beat Jeffery Time. 13.4. Half-mile Handicap First heat: D. Swanston (ecr) 1. T. Cameron (10yds) 2. W Woodgate <66vds) 3. K Campton 1106yds) 4. Time. 57,8. Second heat: N Woodgate <7sydßl 1. W. Whiston 150yds) 2. K Jeffery <2oyds) 3. E. McCann (80yds) 4. Time. 582 Final: Swanston 1. W Wo-xigate 2 McCann 3 Time. 58.8. One-mile Handicap. First heat: M. Wilford (170yds) 1. K. Campion (200vd») 2. D Hewer (ISOy-ds) 3 J. Crofts (180ydsi 4 Time. 1:50 0. Second heat: D Swanston <scr> 1 K. Jefferv (35 yd»> 2 T Cameron (25yd*> 3. F Hooper (66vde) 4. Time. 2.10 8. Final: Crofts 1 Wilford 3. Campion 3 Time. 2:1-8. Two-mfle Handicap— K. Jeffery (Syds) 1, M. Wilford (250

¥ds) 2. E. McCann (345yds) 3. ime. 4 3J).

Five-mile Scratch.—D. Swanston 1. T. Cameron 2. K. Jeffery 3. Time. 11304. Amateur Events Quarter-rmle Handicap.—First heat: D. Gutry (13yda) 1, Rheat: T. Wetr (10yds) 1. T. Gutty 1. Weir 3, Tabak 3. Time, Throe-quarter nsile Handicap. —First heat: W. Wtoati (Sttyds) 1, G. Smith (20to’ds) 2. B Berry (100yds) 3. T. Tatoak (73yd.) 4. Time. 1:26.4.: Second heat: G. Stanley (130 yd. 1. J. Urquhart (150yds) 2. P. Stalling (70yds) 3. C. Fitzgerald (10yds) 4. Time, 1:30.0. Final: Berry 1. Wash 2. Tafcak 3 Time 133.3. One and a half-mile Handicap.—B. Berry (160yds) 1, T. Tartrak (130yds> 2. P. Stalling (145yds) 3. Time. 33.0. Three-mile Scratch —R. Johnstone 1. D. Gutry 2, R. Mann 3.

Special Events One-lap Invitation Sprint.—J. Bigwood (Auckland) beat R. Johnstone (Auckland). Time. 12.4

One Lap Sprints.—W. Woodgate beat K. Campion. Time. & T l 3.? b- ‘ b * rG ' S ‘* n, ‘ y '

Has Been’s Derby” (one lap). —K. Giles 1. A. Ritcfiie 2. Time, 305,

Flying Quarter-mite Record (selected amateur rfders). J. Bigwood 26.(1. R. Johnstone 26.0, D. Gutry 26.0

Novice Events Haflf-tnile.—O. Roberts 1. T. Sparks 2. P. Frisken 3. Time.

Three-quarter Mile.—P. Frisken 1, O Roberts 2. T. Sparks 3. Time. 1:40.0.

Sprints.—T. Sparks beat P. Frisken. Time. 14 0. D Hay beet B. Shaw Time, 144. Final: Sparks beat Hay. Time, 14.0. local Boys' One Lap. T. Bailey 1. K. Merrin 2. A. Skelner 3. Time, 36.1.