CASH ATHLETICS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2762, 20 February 1907, Page 58

CASH ATHLETICS.

Bt Spght.

FIXTURES. M-arch 8. — Athletic sports, Matakanui. March 9— Dunedin Cycling Club Sheffield Handicap. March 13— Irish Athletic Society of Southland, Invercargill. Match 15 — Hibernian Cycling and Athletic . sports, Greymouth. March 18— St. Patrick's sports, Ophir. tawch 18— Athletic sports, Reefton. March 21— St. 'Patrick's Day sports, Ashburton. March 30 — Cromwell Caledonian sports. April I—Oarxmru"1 — Oarxmru " Hibernian sports. April I— Bruce A'fchletic sport*. April I—Clyde1 — Clyde Spoits Club games. April I—Blueskin.1 — Blueskin. Caledonian sports, Waitati. The Dunedin Cycling- Club has finally decided to give prizes of £20, £3, £2, and £1 in connection with the Sheffield Handicap, of 135 yds, to be run at its annual cycling meeting on March 9. The Drognmme is in print, and any person desirous if obtaining- one should communicate with ihe secretary, Mr E. Falck, D.C.C. rooms, Dowling street. I anticipate a record entry. It should be remembered by northern runners that the big Sheffield, of £60, ifi run off at Invercargill on the following .Wednesday. They will thus be enabled to fun in two big races with one journey. Judging by the amount of correspondence in the Oamaru papers ju&t now, there seems to be a great deal of opposition to the Caledonian Society there having decided to purchase the Show Ground from the North Otago A. and P. Association. The main opposition seems to come from the amount of interest that will be payable (every year on money borrowed to pay off 'the purchase and cost of preparing a new track, estimated at £120 10s a year. The projeofc that seems to g«t most support is the vesting ot the Tyne Street Gardens in fc, Domain Board". Wifcb regard to the latter fde»; delegates from, various sports bodies porno time ago made proposals to the Borough Council, the chief of wtijeh were : II) A lease 1 to be granted of not fees than El years at a peppercorn rent; (2) a' football and cricket ground to. be enck*ed iSvithin a -circular- track, same to cost not Jess than-dB18C0;'(3)--£75O to be expended .trithin one y«ar, and a further £250 within. five years; "(*) money to be raised &y the Sports Association issuing debenture*; (5) the track to be four laps to the? mile, so as lo ensure football and cricket being played". line question is one entirely for the Caledonian Society themtelve*. If they can ftfford to pui(.hdto ihe Show Ground for.

T £2000, and expend a further £1000 in forming a cycling track, well and good. By j this means they will have something to I show for their money. If the Tyne Street Gardens are to be vested in a Domain Board, the town will practically be receiv1 ing a present of all the moneys expended in putting ;t in order. It would also be a boon to football and cricket in the White Stone City, as the only suitable ground at present i 6 too far distant from, the town. It avill be inteiesting to 6ee what is finally ' decided upon. Bruce Athletic Club are out with their programme for their annual sports on faster Monday. Tho chief running events are:— Milton Sheffield, of 150 yds, ±;15, £4, and £2; 880 Yards, £3, £1, and 10s; 350 Yards, £3, £1, and 10s; 220 Yards £3, £1, and 10s. The programme also includes dancing, piping, wrestling, etc. So as to allow of an official programme being printed, all nominations close on March 22. Mr W. M'Donald (Dunedin) has been appointed starter and handicapper. ±1. L. Abbott, a Taranaki representative in the All Black football team which went Home, has already entered for the Sheffield Handicap, to be run at the Dunedin Cycling Club's sports on March 9. There is also a probability of the champion sprinter 'Morris being seen out at the meeting. The Hawke's Bay Highland Society held its annual sports on Wednesday, 13th inst. The sky was overcast, but the weather remained fine. There was a very large attendanc-3 of. the public — probably the biggest on the society's records — and everything went off well. The society may claim a success .even greater than at any other gathering yet held. The chief running items resulted : — 120 Yards Handicap: Final— T. M'lntyre, 7yds, 1; P. M. O'Shannessy, 12yds, 2; T. M. Richards, Byds, 3. Time, 11 2-sj»ec. Fourteen others started, including- C. J. Morris and L. C. M'Lachlan, both on scratch. Mile Handicap: J. C. Boyd, 120 yds, 1; A. Campbell, scr, 7.. There were nine starters. 220 Yards: P. M. O'Shannessy, 18yds, 1; L. C. M'Lachlan, scr, 2; D. Santon, Byds, 3. Time, 22 1-Seec. Won by inches. 440 Yards: Ik Santon, , 15yds, 1; R. D. Chalmers-, 35yds, 2; B. Stuart, 40yds, 3. Time, 49 4-saec Eleven started, including L. C. M'Laehlan (scr), but he gave up after covering about half the distance. 880 Yards : A. Campbell, ecr, 1; R. D. Chalmers, 50yds, 2; W. A. Prentice, 30yds, 3. Time, 2min 2 l-ssec. There were 11 starters. A runner who was recently disqualified for life entered, in is alleged, ander a fal&e name for Rongotea sports, some hundred miles from Wellington, on the 13th, but the prompt action of the New Zealand Athletic Union prevented his competing there. J. M'Kechnie, of Dunedin, competing at the Hawke's Bay Highland sports on the 13th, met with considerable success. He was second in Reels and Strathspeys, first in. Marches, first in Pibrociks, second in Seantmibhas, second in Fling, first in Sword Dance, second in Reels, second in Irish Jig, and third in Sailors' Hornpipe. W. Skinner, also of Dunedin, competing at the. same sports, secured second in Putting the Shot, off scratch, with an effort of 37ft 3in; first, off scratch, in the Hammer, with 91ft lOiuj and second in Border Wrestling. The first of a- series of weekly handicaps at> the Captain Cook Proprietary Grounds will be held by electric light on Wednesday night, February 20. The race is a. novice handicap, of 75yds, with prizes of £10, £3, £1 10s, and 10s. and open only to those who have never won a cash prize of over £10 — distance and hurdle races ey cepted. D. Riley, 15 Coombe's Arcade, is secretary and handicapper. Messrs J. A. Center and Mackenzie Forbes motored over from Wanganui to Napier for the Highland Society's sports on the 13th. Tho former, who had entered for the piping and dancing events, was not allowed to compete being a disqualified person. The Limehills athletic sports were held on the 13th, when with good entries and good handicapping, there were keen finishes. The handicap of 120 yds (£5, £2, and £1) resulted: J. M'Conochie 1. W. Baird 2, J. Walker 3. There were 13 entries. The Half Mil* resulted: S. Small 1, J. \l. Small 2, J. M'Conochie 3; eight started. At the Linton sports (North Island) on ihe 6th inst.. W. L. Colvin, starting off 6yds, in a 220 yds handicap, ran second in a field of 16. At the same meeting J. Shivae, off 4yds. won the Consolation Handicap, of 100 yds. again.st nine others. According to reports, T. Forrester, of Ranfurly, is a runner of more than ordinary mesir. In a match against time, ovor 350 yds, he is said to have run the distance in 38fcee. which is an exceptionally good go. I have my doubts ac to its being genuine, but four watches clocked the time given ; further, Forre>>t<»r can get backers to 6ay that he can do the time again. At the Rongotea sports (ncarFoxton) on the 13th, the following items are of local interest : -100 yds final : A- H. White, Byds, 1; H. Murray, Byds. 2 ; A. E. Bell, B>de, 3. Time— lo l-ssec. W. L. Colvin. off 2yds, ran second in the third heat. 220 yds: C. Stratford, 16yds, 1: L. J. Ashworth, 12yde, 2; W. Xv Colvin, I+yde. 3. Time — 23 l-ssec. There were 10 starters, including J. Shivas, scratch. 440 yds: C. Stratford. 27yds, 1; Shivas, syda, 2; W. L. Colvin. syds. 3. Time — -52 3-ssec. There were eight starters. Forced Handicap. 150 yds: A. E. Bell. 10yds, 1; W. L. Colvin, 4yds, 2; «L Low, 12yd«, 3. Time— lssec. At the Limehills sports on the 13th F. Ford won Putting the Shot (both Irish and Scotch styles). Cumberland Westling, and Tossing tho Caber.