POLO.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 161, 1 April 1908, Page 9

POLO.

ANNUAL TOURNAMENT. : 1 THE HANDICAP CUP. '• 1 Two events in .the, Handicap Cup.competition were-., decided at .Miramar yesterday,; Wellington 13 meeting-Christchurch, -and Wellington:'A 'meeting" Fern' Flats;-' Owing; to" tho. loeiyay to bV pulled lip, it :is neces : . 4aryi in. ,thesb_ competitions. .--for : tho''better toaih, to win, to set.(th'o pace' from the. start. • Pace aild furious determination-.to' reach tho enomy's -goal seemed to bo greater fcaturos' 6f yesterday's •play; thanany noteworthy in-' cidonts .;of. combination.' ;l The ovents ,were .Watched with; interest by 'tlio small, number of . spectators;'. though "in ' handicap events greater keenness would probably' bo aroused if tlio committee.went to the .troublo of dis-' playing on a board the teams' handicaps and s tho refativo. positions: with- -each goal scored.' With threo; days,gone. the ponies appear fitter aild '-prettier:'and.more,;like racehorses: than, ever.'• Tlio ground,'however,• lias cut' up considerably.' • : , ' ;•• • ' ' ;; Details ot tho day's play aro as .follow:— VVELLINGTON BV, CHRiSTCHUROH. 1 ; Tlio teams" wero:—Wellington' B—C; P. Skerrett, (i: Johnston, I'. J. Nathan, D. 0. A'. Cooper.' - Christchurch)—J. D.: Hall, ; PL : .T. Little, T. L.' Cowlishaw,'and A.'Clark.' 'Wellington's .imhdicttp. was 14 and Christ-.' church-8..;-v.!'.' '• ' V •'■-Vv-'j. ~ Tho southern men lost -no, tinio in sotting out to Wipo out their/deficit.. 'After a merry brack- or two. up and, down tlio • field,': first ; Hall, then GoWhahaw, and, then Clark added; goals, and before'-the '.first: spoil': had,; elided another was scrambled .through- to swell tho, total,- placing Christchurch within* two of their' opponents' .handicap; : In tlie second spell still another :.was .added, "and!, Nathanby a piece of niisfortune gave them .piio more. In the third spell Hall gavo Christchurch a. lead of one goal with a. pretty display.,: Cooper- reduced . deficit of one after. a brilliant riin- from .half,-, ;Way.,: In tlio : fifth ; spoil :;Skorrett,. draw-, ing . applause' ■ by, ' his'-brilliant, dashes,; at ' lc-ngtli- - hit a ,goal for. .Wellington,'but tho • last, spell 'saw two - additionalgoals r'uiig on -by the .: southerners;.. This .gavo Christchurch, 'tho victory,; the . positions ' being—Christchurch,' ; handicap . scored 10; total ".18.'. Wellington, handicap' 14, scored 2, total IG. -. .... 1-' - WELLINGTON AV. FERN FLATS. ' Teams.'.— Wellington. A —-! E.; -Williams,. Clark, F. J. Grace, and Johnston. ■ , Fern Flats—llickman, H.J. Cameron, A. Cameron, and Coleman. >Vollingtoii had- a, handicap of 6-goals aild Fern Flats 16 goals. ; ' , : : 'rho" gaiiie' opeiied with; Tiard purposeless galloping and great keemiess on tlio'part of -Fern Flats.. Wellington scored! a-n'.-easy' goal through Clark's, agency. In the next spell Clark's 'hitting'.Was' a I'eatUre, as; John-' ston's • had been in tlio first-spell, In' spell three, .'Fern Flats,-.,as tho result of. a . tree hit against Williams,, scored, but tiiis was later followed by ,i tricky goal by Clark: Wellington at this : stage-woro working.hard, but it was evident Fern Flats were after.'the cupi aiid determined. 1 with their iiig handicap, that if'they could; score they would . prevent' their opponents -doing '50... In the fourth spell Coleman:scored.Fern Flat's second goal, but Clark, for Wellington, *reta.li-' ated with-.another, and Grace with. yet another., Several':times in tlio next two spoils "Wellington had ehancoSj but-.their - strokes went askew. Howeveij goals-wero scored by, 'Johnston, and Clark,. and at the conclusion Wellington had thus raised - their total. of goals to 8, and Fern Flats, through,-:tho ■agency of H. Cameron and Coleman to A, Wellington hold their opponents hard pressed at the finish, all tho team playing a hard game. Fern Flats showed (ftcidedly: improvihg'form, and, with their heavy handicap and staunch ponies, should havo a chanco 'of holding the clip. The result of tho gamo was:—Wellington A,' halidicap 6 goals, scored 8, total 14; Ferii Flats, handicap 10' goals, scored 4, total 20. TO-DAY'S GAMES. This afternoon Hawko's Bay will -meetJlaiigalicia in tho Savile, Cup contest.- and Rsngitikei will play Manawatu for the Handicap Cup. Manawatu have a handicap of 4 gWls and Rangitikoi are 011 scratch. ;. .