AMATEUR ATHLETICS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 20599, 25 June 1930, Page 16

AMATEUR ATHLETICS.

WINTER COMPETITIONS. A SUCCESSFUL MEETING. HILL WINS STEEPLECHASE. The Auckland Amateur Athletic Club hold another successful meeting at the Domain last Saturday when good fields competed in four events. A. J. Elliott was not a competitor as he did not wish to run the risk of catching a chill. The 75 yards handicap attracted a good field of twenty-four aud was run off in three heats and a final. H. McNiel, with an exceptionally liberal handicap, was successful in the first beat. L. Barker accounted for the second heat, while the third heat was won by J. Dowle. There was a lot of bad breaking at the start of the final, Roper and Willey being the worst offenders. The fiold evenutally got away to a very even start and at fifty yards McNiel held a slight advantage from Clark and Dowle. McNiel made a great effort to hold his lead, but ho broke his stride, ten yards from the tape and Dowle, producing a great burst, came through to win by two feet from McNiel with Clark inches away third. The placed men were all on big marks, and the backmarkera had no chance of making up the handicaps on the heavy track.

It was the same story in the one and a-half miles steeplechase, in which the limit men had matters all their own way. Clark and McNiel made the pace at the start, but before half ft mile had been covered they wero joined by G. A. Hill, a steeplechasing recruit, who was running only his second race. With two laps to go Hill took the lead and soon made a good gap between himself and Clark. The backmarkers were finding it hard to open out on the flats and wero not making much impression on tho leaders, as the ground was very groasy and slippery. Continuing at a good steady pace, Hill came into the straight well clear Of the field and won easily by fifty yards from Clark, who was just &head of Dowle. Savidan ran much faster over the last half-milo and sprinting up tho straight ran into fourth place to be followed in by Thomas, Browne, Hall and Cooper. The winner, G. Hill, is fairly young as yet, but is well built and the manner in which he stood up to the heavy going on Saturday stamped him as likely to do well with a little more experience. J. W. Savidan was in good form and ran a solid race without in any way bustling himself. L. Barker appeared for the first time this season and won his heat in the sprint, but just jogged around in the steeplechase. He waa a member of last year's representative team and with some hard training should again go close to similar honours. A. B. Browne is back on hard marks now, but is justifying his place as he is running in fine Style and making his comarkers run hard to hold him. A special meeting will be hold next Saturday at the Domain to raise extra money for the Savidan-Elliott fund. The sprint will be held iu front of the grandstand, while a two miles steeplechase will also start and finish there. A javelin throwing ovent will be added to the programme of field events.