HARRIER RACING

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 23088, 13 July 1938, Page 21

HARRIER RACING

STEEPLECHASE AT DOMAIN SAVIDAN AGAIN PROMINENT After several weeks of inter-club and open racing events, the various harrier clubs went back to their programmes last Saturday, when excellent conditions prevailed. All the tracks were heavy and holding, but the keen atmosphere forced runners to move at a. smart pace all the time. The main race of the day was the Auckland Club's 5000 yards steeplechase at the Domain. A small field of 22 competed in this event, which started and finished in front of the grandstand. The limit men had completed the first of the five 1000 yard laps before Savidan and A\ atters, the scratch men, were under way, but even these handicaps did not prevent the former from running into a place at the finish. The lending positions were constantly changing during the race as the middle markers moved up, but at the start ! of the last round, Atkin was in front from French, Glasgow, Dunn, Bryan and Savidan, with Wat tors well back J'rench assumed charge about a fur long from home and, staying on better than Glasgow,, went on to win by 1;> yards, with Savidan finishing with a great burst a similar distance away in third place. 'I lie Auckland Club has a very keen bunch of runners who race at the Domain each Saturday, but they are not up to the class of the fields'of a few years back. L. R. Wat tors is the most promising runner in the club at present, but as yet he is no match for Savidan. ' The limit and middle-markers do not appear to be making half the use they I should do of their liberal handicaps', j The limit men invariably go very slowly in the early stages and wait until j caught by the middle men before at- | tempting to open out. The result is that i the back-markers can make up their handicaps comparatively early and can ease up before having the hard tussle over the final half-mile.

The sprint at the Domain on Saturday was Won by X. Barton, off Byds, wit)] Bryan and Parkes in the minor places. Barton's time off By<ls was 7 M-ijs, which was altogether too fast lor the scratch men. The Wesley Cjuh decided its novice championship over a four miles course of road and country, while the rest of the club held a handicap race over the same course. In the novice event a fine race was run with the result very open right to the finish. Tn the final sprint for home, however, V. MeLellaml was too strong and he drew out to win by 10yds from J. Hamerton, with M. Holding -about the same distance away in third place. The running of the lastnamed was very good, as he is only a boy. He fought on really well tinder pressure in the last quarter-mile. Technical held a long run from tlio home of the national mile champion, S. Wade. A big field turned up for the run, in which Best, lbbetson and Mortimer moved very freely. The former champion T. "Wilson had charge of the slow pack and he ran well enough to suggest that lie would defeat more than would beat him in open company.

Lynndale and University had nearly a hundred runners out for their combined meet at Avondale, where a diffi cult nine miles coprse was covered. After their recent hard racing the leading men in these two clubs did not overtax themselves and were content to have a long,, easy run. Koeford, of University, who made such a good showing in the big road race last Saturday, ran in the intermediate pack. The fast pack bad a race over the last fewhundred yards, and showing up best at the finish were Perrett and Collins, of Lynndale, and Tweedie, of University.