ATHLETICS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2437, 28 November 1900, Page 44

ATHLETICS.

Our Auckland correspondent wires:— The~ Auckland Amateur Athletic Club's Spring ,Carnival was held on Saturday last, when the weather was beautifully fine, the attendance large, and the tracks in splendid condition. 1 The event of the day was, of course, the meeting between George W. Smith, Ausjtralian and New Zealand Chammon, and M. M. Roseingrave, the famous Irish hurdler, In (the 120 yds Invitation Hurdle Race, which ■proved to be the greatest exhibition of tim-ber-topping ever seen in the Australasian ocHonies. •' Both men had had ample opportunity -for preparation, but as they emerged from their dressing tents and walked across the intervening space to the start there were those jwho held that the Irishman was a trifle on ,the light side, but no other fault could be found with his appearance. ' The pair, after a friendly handshake, dropped down on their marks, and once the starter had satisfied Inmself that all was clear, he did not delay long in letting them away. They hopped off well together, Roseingrave, if anything, having just a wee bit the best Df it, but there was nothing to pick and choose between them as they rose to the first fence, and they were still stride for stride over the next jump. 'At "the third, however, Smith .was topping his fence when Roseingrave was x on 'the rise, but the boy from Galway was .topside at the fourth and fifth. Smith saw this, and with a supreme effort was again on terms over the sixth fence, and, full of running, dashed- over the next jump a few inches ! to the good, improving the -advantage to a yard at the eighth and to two yards at^the ninth. Here the Irishman, who had evidently saot his bolt, carried completely/ off his feet by the great pace at which "the Aucklander wwfe-taking him along, struck the hurdle with ihis foot and came down, leaving his opponent to finish by himself, taking his last fence like .a- lion. Smith dashed over ftie intervening space in fine style, and snapped the worsted in ' the phenomenal time of 15 3-ssec. This was the time returned by two of the three official timekeepers, both thoroughly competent watch-holders, but the crowd having rushed the ground in the desire to Bee the finish, jostled Mr G. Read, the third tofficial timekeeper, and he was unable to snap ithe go. Mr W. Dickey, an olticial of tuo club, acting on the instruction of the secretary, also timed the race, and with a watch that only showed the quarters clocked 15|se'c. The watch- was handed over to the secretary, and application will be made for a record, but with what result remains to hs seen, as the rules of the N.Z.A.A.A. provide for three official timekeepers. If he loses the record, it will be decidedly hard luck, as it was undoubtedly the race of his life, and 2-ssec better than the previous last Australasian record, afld only l-ssec behind the American crack Kraenzwim's world's " grass record. That Smith was in rare buckle was demonstrated by his subsequently winning the 120 yds Hurdle Handicap, from 7£yds behind scratch, in\l6 3-ssec, and that alter scooping the heat in the 220 yds flat, from scratch, in 23sec, running through a field.