COURSING.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XL, Issue 12279, 25 May 1903, Page 7

COURSING.

! On Saturday last at Point Chevalier a start was made with the decision of the Challenge Stakes, conducted under the auspices of the North New Zealand Coursing Association. Considerable delay was occasioned owing to "the fact that the hares had not been boxed, and to this matter the committee of the club had to direct their attention at a time when the first cOUV-.se should have been finished. The result was thut an insufficient number of hares were secured, ana these being called upon to course without the rest which is necessary after the excitement of boxing, were unable to compete successfully against the dogs. Added to this, the judge, on account of the shortness of the courses and the equality of the gave a most unusual number of " no courses" and " undecideds," in some instances the dogs having to compete against each other no less than three or four times. At the finish of the 15th course it was found that the number of hares boxed had given out, no alternative remained but to abandon the completion of the first round. There was a large attendance of the public, and no less than 48 paid up for the final. Of these, a considerable number had come from Gisborne, Napier and Oamaru to take j>art at the meeting. Mr. C-oombe judged in his usual careful style, whilst Mr. Brennan had a tendency to slip too short, but succeeded in sighting his dogs and sent them away on equal terms. The following are the results as far as was ran: —

Challenge Stakes : First dog, £100; runnerup, £25; third dog, £10. Three dogs at £5 each. Port Wine beat Tim Whiffler, Loyalty beat Machine Gun, Stepaway beat Princess May, Lady Cognac beat Paddy Heft rath, Lord of tho Isles beat Lady Smith, Rory O'More beat Record Reign, Spring Water beat Silver King, Bloodshot beat iu.N., Ladybird beat Barmaid, Pedisolida beat Magnitude, Epsom Lass beat Lockfoot, Jewel Gun beat Romeo, Griffo beat Sparkling Water, Equipoiso beat Brown Alice. _ . , The meeting will be continued to-day. Ihe first dogs will be placed in the slips a$ two o'clock sharp. It will be seen by the advertisement in another column that the public will be admitted free on this occasion. This step has been decided on by the committee in order to popularise the sport.