CHAMPIONSHIP MEETING.

Otago Witness, Issue 2558, 25 March 1903, Page 52

CHAMPIONSHIP MEETING.

Officials of meeting: — Director and referee, Mr W. B. Bell ; judgps— Dr Stanley Batchelor and Messrs A. A. Finch and H. B. Courtis; Sports Committee — Messrs F. T. Anderson, V. Boot, W. B. Bell, R. Crow, A. Dey, S. D. Minn, jrad D. Wall; timekeepers-^Messrs F. J. ■Townsend, T. Long, and T. Risk; starter, Mr 'ff. Cowie; umpires — Messrs R. Crow, R. G. Sise, and J. C. Seelye, jun. ; lap scorer, Mr V. {Boot; clerks of course, Messrs A. Dey and J3. D. Mima; press steward, Mr F. T. Anderrn; telegraph board, Messrs J. Wilson and T. Hamann ; handicappers, Messrs W. Begg (cycling) and A. Findlay (tunning) ; hon. surgeon, Dr Fulton; consul L.N.Z.W., Mr D. • Wall ; hon. secretary and treasurer, Mr A. J. .pullivan. v 'Th© League of New Zealand Wheelmen j held a championship meeting on the Caledonian Ground on Saturday afternoon under the auspices of the Dunedin Cycling Club. The weath«r was fine, though it got .very cold about 5 o'clock, causing many people to leave for their homes. The attendance number&d about 3COO. The track Jwas in capital order, reflecting great credit on the caretaker, and the ground, as a itrhole, was in splendid trim. The Kaikorai (Band played a first-class programme of jnusic during the afternoon. 1 The feature of the meeting was- the niotorHcyele racing, and the central figure of this interesting part of the programme was undoubtedly the veteran Martin, who was little £hort of tip-top condition. It was the fiv&t time Dunedimtes had seen a race of the fdnd, and it will be long before they forget the spectacle of Martin, in his costume of red, white, and blue, and holding on to his ££ horse-power machine like a vyce, whirling round the ring at the rate of 40 miles jm hour. His appearance on the motor \ras anything but attractive. Sitting far j back, he grasps tho handle-bars, which are jibout 4ft in length, and, apparently with in utter disregard for consequences, he jets his teeth to it and gets the best speed put of his noisy, ugly machine. In negotiating the corners he rode at an angle that many were afraid ■nni'd bring him )36wn, but onco on the lev-pi he straightened Jhe machine up, and dashed past the grand jtand at a higher speed than any of our fcrainß possess, eliciting hearty oheers every jtime-he came along. He covered one lap in 22sec. The other motor-bicycles in the I race were about 2 horse-power, and did j •plondid work, Porter, Dumerque, Clarko, j flSenniston, and Reid being the contestants. | {Porter did a lap in 24sec, and Dumerqiie and Clarke covered the same distance in E6 l-ssec. Martin was to give an exhibition on his motor, but the machine failing him iPorfcer and Clarke filled the gap, covering a, mile from a flying start in lmin 42sec. JClarke won by a few " yards after a most Exciting finish. Thp ordinary bicycle events (•were somewhat slow after the motors, but at anyrate they were free from the risk that attaches to the high-speed going. The Halfmile Championship went to Huston, of Ashiburton, who beat Martin by very little ; _A. 'Ralston, the Dunedin representative, being close up third. In the Milo Championship 4ho tables were turned, Martin defeating (Huston by a foot, while three others were xnthin a yard of two of the winner. The Championship witnessed another very olose finish, Holland proving the winner fey no more than a wheel from Martin. The (American, however, had his revenge on Holland in the Five-mile Championship, (which he pulled off by a length from the 'Ashburton representative, with Huston a capital third. A. R. Barker, R. J. Cooke, and R. Connell, other Canterbury repreteentativea, entered for events, but Barker 'and Connell, having met with mishaps at Sthe Ashburton meeting last week, did not )come down, and Cooke wa« absent. The sneeting was free from serioxw accident. and Huston collided in the last 'trace, and were within an ace cf falling ; Wd in the three-mile event A. Ralston fell Sailer tho finish, sustaining wme na?ty on his arm and leg. The principal -amounts won by competitors were: — W. ftlartin, £29; G. Porter, £15; H. Holland, i£l4 10s; A. Huston. £10; D. T. M'Gavin, 6)6; E. H. Clarke, £5; G. W. Taylor, £3; }and A. Ralston, £2. The capital arrangetoients for the conduct of the meeting wore Well carried out, excepting that the events ryvere not run up to time, with tho result ,»j;hat it was about 6 o'clock instead of 5 Jo'clock when the last race was started. Mr lA. J. Sullivan made an energetic and 'efficient secretary, and the rest of the tofficials performed their respective dut'es Sn a thoroughly satUfactory manner. The {following are the results of the various jevents : — i)?TE-MILE CASH HANDICAP. F!r.=t prize, .-Ci ; second prize, £2 , third prize, £1. Four "aps. ' ? ir3t Beat: V. Ritchie (C.C.C), 75yd=, 1 ; A. !P. Fleming (O.C.C), 80yds, 2; J. R Roxburgh iKO.C.C), 75yds, 3; J. Craig (D.CC). 120 yds, 4. ''Also started: W. Martin (N.Z.L.W.) scr, M. •{[dour (0.C.C.) 150 yds. Martin retired in the Isecondlap. The limit man was caught at the >end of the thiad lap, whin all were in a (bunch. Won by a good length. Time, 2min B3 4-ssec. ! Second Heat: C. F. Lethaby (0.C.C.), J 2oyds, ft; G. W. Taylor (G.C.C.), 140 yds, 2: R Arnst ](A.C.C.), 55yds, 3; E. J. Ritchie CCCO, 75yds, % Also started: N. Ralston (0.C.C.) 80yds, {D. T. M'Gavin (0.C.C.) 150 yds, W. J. M'Mahon JfO.C.C.) 165 yds. All bunched together on beginning the last lap, and Ralbton went to tho front, but failed to keep his position. Won by lialf a. length, the same distance separating the •econd and third men. Fina!. R. Arnst (A.C.C ), 55rd^ 1 E. J. Ritchie (C.C.C.), 75yds .. .. 2 V. Ritchie (C.C.C), 75yd? .. .. 3 All qualified started. Arnst took the lead Jialf a lap from home, and won with a couple of yards to spare, the second and third men being very close m an escitißg finish. Time, 2niin 23 4-2se&

TWO-MILE CASH HANDICAP. First prize, £6; Becond prize, £3; third prize, £1. Eight laps. First Heat: M. Idour (0.C.C.), 270 yds, 1; W. J. M'M*hon (0.C.C.), 290 yds, 2; V. Ritchie (C.C.C.), 150j'd8, *ad J. R. Roxburgh (0.C.C.), 135yda, a tie for third place. Also started: W. Martin scr, N. Ralston. 140 yds. Martin retired after going a lap. The limit men had things their own way, and finished a quarter of a lap ahead, a, couple of lengths separating the first and second men. A great race ensued for third place, ending in a dead heat, the last man a, wheel behind. Time, 4min 41 3-53 CC. Second Heat: G. W. Taylor (G.C.C.), 260 yds, 1; C. F. Lethaby (0.C.C.), 220 yds, 2; D. M'Gavin (0.C.C.), 280 yds, 3; E. J. Ritchie (C.C.C.), 135 yds, 4. Also started: R. Arnst (A.C.C.) 90yds, A. P. Fleming (D.C.C.)- 140yds. This was a repetition of the racing in the previous heat, the limit men winning easily a full lap ahead. The first three men were all close together. For fourth place Ritchie just beat Arnst by a wheel, after an exciting finish. Time, 4min 49 4-ssec.