Athletics.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 978, 28 November 1890, Page 15

Athletics.

-i; FIXTURES. November 29. 1890—Well ngton A.A.C. Sprint? meeting, at Wellington. . December 6, 1890. Dunedin Amateur Athletic Club s Annual Sports meeting. Carisbrook Grounds (Dunedin). • - ■•-•■“ December 13 and 16, 1890. O. A.A. Club's Annual Spring Eace Meeting, at Lancaster Park, iebruary 6 and 7, 1891. New Zealand Amateur A luetic Association and CyclisV Alliance combined Championship meeting, at Auckland. - . >..- .. ENTRIES CLOSE ON November 28.—Dunedin A. A.C.j[Sports, with Mr T. Kerr, P.O.- Box 262, Dunedin^ December 6^— Canterbury A. AC. Sports, with Mr D. Wood, P.O. Box 312, Christjhurch. NOrES. (BY VIKING). The Amateur Athletic Club have received capital entries fop their Spring Meeting on Saturday. Ihe handicaps' were declared on Monday morning, and since then have of course, as is the fate of all handicaps, been very much discussed and freely criticised. No work of this nature was ever yet done that a dozen or more faults could not be pointed out by the all wise critics, but I think that taking it all round Messrs McCardell, Kreeft, and A. King are to be congratulated on a very even and equitable adjustment. ' I now propose running through the list of competitors and giving n»y readers'Viking’s ideas of the likely winners in the various events to be decided on the Basin Reserve on Saturday afternoon. The 100 yards Maiden Race has provided the goodly number of thirteen entries, including some very speeds maidens indeed. Amongst others I notice the names of J-U. Collins the three-quarter back of the Wellington Football Club, Fay, Hanning and Prendergast of St Patrick’s College, Bunting and -JVTorrah of football fame, and several other likely looking men, including Arthur Hempton, a brother of the New Zealand hundred yards Champion and I hear a very fast man. Of course it is a most difficult matter to pick the winner of a maiden race where nearly all the ■competitors are untried men, but I think the result will be something like this : P. Fay, 1: J- U. Collins 2 ; and Hempton, 3. Fay is the lad who won nearly all the principal events at the'St Patrick’s College sports the other day, in what must be considered for sohool races exceedingly good time, and I do not think we need look further for the winner. The hundred yards handicap has received the support of twenty entries and ought to furnish some excellent racing l . Considerable interest has been taken in this race in consequence of the meeting of the scratch man King and Meenan the ex-Dunedin Amateur crack, but this has been to a certain extent lessened by the haudicappers rather under-rating Meenan in my opinion by giving him two yards from King, and from the latter having practically ceased training for over a week from indisposition. I think the-best treated in this race are F. Meenan, 2 yards ; Fay, 7 yards • Harley 7 yards ; Gore and Hempton, 8 yards ; and Richardson, 10 yards; and shall expect the result to be, Meenan, 1; Richaedson, 2 ; and Fay or Gore, 3.

For the 250 yards handicap I fancy the chances of Gurr 13 yards, Collins 17 yards, C, Richardson 20 yards, and King the scratch man, provided, the latter is well enough to start, and with this proviso the result ought to be Gurr, Richardson, and King. In the hurdle race the Champion Batger has been set the formidable task of giving 45 yards limit start in 150 yards, as he owes 30 yards in the 120 yards, but despite this I think he will manage to about get home first with Elder and Gurr close up. Nineteen have entered for the quarter mile Ladies’ Bracelet Handicap, and this ought to produce a field of at least fifteen. King will be almost certain to be absent from this, and I like the chances best in the order'named of Hewlett 20 yards, Richardson 30 yards, and Pownall 28 yards. In the mile, amongst the twenty entries, I notice the name of a new man in Elder, who I am informed is a resident of the Wairarapa, who has recently arrived in the colony from the old country where he was attending one of the Universities and has a good reputation as an all round athlete. I shall expect him to win the mile from scratch, with Oswin, a likely yonngster, with 80 yards start, and Kimbell 60 yards, or C. J. Cooper 40 yards, as his immediate attendants.

For the half mile I fancy Mills with his handicap of 50 yards will about win but I think Morrah’4o yards and Pownall 25 yards will be very close on his heels.

The Weight Putting has .this time been made a Handicap, and Elder has been from his reputation made scratch man giving St Hill 6ft and A. Cooper 7ft. I shall expect St Hill to win. It is a pity that the present holder of the championship, the Bturdy Malcolm is not in Wellington, for otherwise I think a contest between him and Elder would have resulted in a lowering of the record. The Walking Race (one mile) has only received meagre support in the shape of five entries, and I think Nicholls with 100 yards will win with one of the scratch men, Cato, The other man on the mark McDonald is unknown to me but may be a dark horse. In the bicycle races I favour the chances of Kimbell with 60 yards in the one mile andßeid|with 200 yards in the three mile, j.he Five Mile Club Championship should produce a good struggle between Newton and Pratt, and I thmk thejatter will win. The fact that twenty-nine have entered for the School Handicap of 250 yards makes the picking of the winner well nigh impossible. Fay is the scratch man with a twenty-five yard limit. I like the chances best of Hanning, Byard3; Thomsom, 5 yards; and Bodmin, 12 yards.

The Bicycle Road Handicap, which waa run on Saturday afternoon from the Lower Hufct to Silverstream and back, resulted as follows :~W. Reid, “54 maohine ” (20min), 1 ; H. White, “Safety” (18min), 2 ; P. Hey wood, “ 52 machine ” (lOmin), 3. Pratt (12min), Henley (12min), Kimbel! (scratch), and Pearce (15min) also started. The winner’s time was lhr 6min. The road was m a very bad condition. The limit man was never caught, , The distribution of prizes in connection with St Patrick’s College athletio sports took place on Sunday afternoon in the large study hall of the college, iu the presence of a large gathering of visitors. Dr Watters, with a few remarks, opened the proceedings. The prizes were then read out by the Rev Father H ickson. The Archbishop distributed the prizes to the various successful candidates. Towards the close his G.raoe the Arohbiahop addressed some words of encouragement to the boys, dwelling upon their success in the field of athletics. The Hon Dr Grace, who, was present, delivered a very humorous, eloquent speech which

drew forth round* of applause from the boy*. The proceedings were enlivened by the oollege orchestra under the baton of Mr Trovrell. At a committee meeting of the Amateur Athletic and Cycling Clnb on Wednesday the final arrangements were made for the sports to be held on Saturday next. Mr P. P. Webb wa* elected a member of the Club. Should the weather be fine the meeting ahould be a pronounced auccess. (PER press association.) Christchurch, November 21. News has been received by the New Zealand Amateur Athletic Association that a team of Australian athletes will visit the colony in February to compete at the championship meeting in Auckland. Auckland, November 23. The Auckland Amateur Atbletio and Bicycle Club held their twenty-second carnival at the Domain cricket ground on Saturday. About 2000 persons were present. The weather was favourable. There were good fields for the races. The following are the results of the principal events : Maiden Race, 120 yards.—A. Collins, 1; W. H. Hales,J2_; J. Burgess, 3. Time, 15 4 sth sec. Maiden Handicap Bicjcle Race, one mile. —E„ Reynolds (scratch), 1; C. Gilbert (100yds), 2; W. H. Hagard (100yds), 3. Time, 3min 35sec. In the Long Jump, Upfill was the only competitor. He cleared 16ft 6in. One Mile Walk—G. Peace (scratch), 1 ; A. Creamer (15yde), 2; L. Croker (65yds), 3. Time, 7min 19sec. Quarter-mile Hurdle Race. W. H. Martin (20yds), l ; Upfill (20yds), 2 ; G. H. Nixon (35yds), 3. Time, lmin 3sec. One Mile Race.—A. S. Clarke (25yds), 1 ; P. C. Lynch (120yds), 2 ; J. Winks (acratoh), 3. Time, 4min 42isec. Three Mile Bicycle Handicap.—H. S. Short (230yds), 1; E. Reynolds (220yds), 2 ; L. E. Hoffmann (180ydB), 3. Time, dmin 46 2-5 sec.

Ladies’ Bracelet, 250 yards.—Ohatfield, 1 ; Burgess, 2; Roberts, 3. Time, 25 3 5 sec. Quarter-mile Handicap.—J. Hill (25yds), 1 ; J. Hutchinson (scratch), 2 ; R. A. Christie (25yds), 3. Time, 51 1-5 sec. Five Mlleßioycle Handioap.—H. S. Short (360yds), 1; Reynolds (350yds), 2 ; Buchanan (scratch), 3. Time, 16miu 44sec. Davis won th 9 Steeplechase.