SPORT OF CYCLING

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXII, Issue 22027, 6 February 1935, Page 20

SPORT OF CYCLING

TRANSPORT CUP CARNIVAL PATRICK AGAIN SUCCESSFUL ROTORUA CHAMPIONSHIPS With the Auckland provincial amateur cycling championship meeting less than a month off local riders are paying more attention to their training preparations. This was evidenced by the performances at recent meetings held at the Western Springs Stadium, Otahuhu and Papatoetoe. The chief meeting of the week was the annual Passenger Transport Cup carnival held at the Papatoetoe track. In three of the four handicaps decided the long-markers proved too fast for the scratch riders, but in the halfmile, A. G. Patrick, the Manukau Club's triple track champion, again demonstrated his powerful sprinting qualities and won easily by threo lengths from the Maori rider, M. Kara, of the Papatoetoe Club. The three miles A grade race gave the Mclnnarney brothers another opportunity to add to their fine list of successes during the present season. The younger of the three brothers, who race with the Papatoetoe Club, A. Mclnnarney, 100 yds., won after a close sprint with C. W. Allan, 120 yds., who showed a little of 1/is old form. 11. Mclnnarney, 60yds., was a close third. A. Vazey appears to be a particularly strong distance rider for, after making the pace for most of the 18 laps of the B grade three miles event, he went away from the bunched field on the final round to win comfortably in 7m 18 2-ss.

At the evening races held at the Western Springs Stadium last .week an exciting finish terminated the threo miles event, when C. Gooder and M. P. Byrnes fought out a wheol-to-wheel finish. Byrnes, with a lightning jump, came fast off the home banking and managed to get a wheel ahead of Gooder in the long finishing straight. Gooder, however, challenged and, maintaining a great pace, won by a wheel in 6m 43 2-ss. A. F. Johnson was the best of the juniors in the Lynndale Club's championship events and ton all titles. Johnson commenced racing at the age of 14 years and is an unusually welldeveloped rider. The dr}' weather has converted the Sturges Park grass track at Otahuhu into almost a dirt track and the racing last Thursday night under the floodlights was the fastest witnessed on the small track this season. Tho principal event was the three miles race for tho SwafEeld Cup. After winning his heat W. Bayly, who had 320 yds. start from the scratch man, J. W. Clark, lapped well with F. Glondinninc, 320vds., in the final to maintain the lead throughout. Over the last lap, Bayly took the field round at a pace which was practically the limit of the track and won by a clear length from L. Beuth in the fast time of 6m 20s. The Rotorua championships last Saturday provided keen finishes between W. Grey and M. Bell. Grey won all three distances and Bell was second in two and third in the other." Grey competed in the 100 miles road championship last year and finished lltli. Both riders intend to contest the provincial championships this month.

RIFLE SHOOTING CHAMPIONSHIP MEETING H. SIMMONDS' SPLENDID FORM The recent, nnnual prize meeting of the Auckland Rifle Association could be considered an unqualified success. The day -was perfect for marksmanship, range organisation left nothing to be desired, and the work of the markers was the best seen at the meeting for a long time. There was a very satisfactory attendance of riflemen, most of the clubs in the province being represented. Competitors from outside centres secured a fair share of success, but not as much as could be desired. In this respect, it was noticeable that the equipment of many of the visitors was not sufficiently good to enable them to compete on even terms with the city' men. Many were using long rifles which have been discarded by the majority of the best marksmen in the country long ago. It should be pointed out that an extra point in each match makes a great difference in the company met with at any meeting of reasonable size, and an extra pound or two spent in good equipment often means the difference between success and failure. With conditions to his liking, nobody could see H. Simmonds beaten on the day, but even his most enthusiastic admirers would not have picked that he would scoop the pool. As it was he proved invincible and won all four matches, and, considering he dropped only four points out of 200, it is safe to say that against even stronger opposition he would still have won. As far as is known Simmonds' feat has never been equalled in the history of rifle shooting in New Zealand at any important association meeting. His score cards read as follows: — 200 yds., 5, 5, 5, 5, 5, 5, 5, 5, 5, 4; 300 yds, 5, 5, 5, 5, 4, 5, 5, 5, 5, 5; 500 yds, 5, 5, 5, 5, 5, 5, 5, 5, 5, 5; 600vds., 4, 5, 4, 5, 5, 5, 5, 5. .5, 5. In finishing second to Simmonds F. Bowes created a mild surprise, as his form this season has been very erratic. This is the second year he has filled the position of runner-up and he was a trifle ur.luckv in meeting a marksman of Simmonds' calibre. After his shoot on the previous Saturday, S. Roebuck, of New Plymouth, wlio is a particularly solid shot with previous good records at the Auckland meeting, was expected to perform well, and he finished two points below Bowes. The tyro championship provided a great duel between two northern competitors in J. H. Ashton, of Whangarei, and I). ,T. Love, of Omana, the former winning by two points at the final range. Ashton did exceptionally well, as his aggregate was only a point below that of Bowes. The next two places were also filled bv members of country clubs. Contrary to expectations, the coached teams' match did not create a great deal of interest, and the City Club, with Bowes and Simmonds at the head, won easily by four points, averaging almost 46 per man. It seems that an extra match in place of the teams' match would have found more favour with the majority of competitors. Among those taking part was S. A. .S. Elliott, who has the distinction of having shot at 25 consecutive Auck-' land Association meetings. UNIQUE GOLF FEAT PLAYER'S GREAT STEADINESS Here, surely, is a unique golfing feat. It was accomplished by A. G. Beck, the Sherwood Forest 'professional, in a Nottinghamshire Alliance tourname.ut at Radcliffe-on-Trent recently. Beck actually halved every one of tlie 18 holes with bogey! Ho had only to hole putts to win on several greens, but missed them and as a result his figures were exactly the same as bogey—72. Many com net i tors beat bogey at some holes anu lose to the mythical " Colonel " at others, but for steadiness this golf by Beck is astonishing.