CASH ATHLETICS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2818, 18 March 1908, Page 79

CASH ATHLETICS.

Bt Spoht. Marcß 18.— Athletic Sports, Invercargill April 18.— Caledonian Sports, Cromwell April 20. — Caledonian Sports, Clyde. April 20.— -Caledonian Sports, "Waatati. April 20. — Hibernian Sports, Omna-iu The Irish 4-thletio Society's Sheffield Handicap, claimed to be the "largest footrace in the Dominion," is set down for" decision to-day at Invercargill. It was thought that the Gaming Bill might affect the entries, but the number of nominations received is larger than for a few years back. It will be interesting to note in future years if this slight increase will continue. Coming to the chances of the different runners, as is usual there is more than one competitor selected as the winner, each by his own Following. However, I fancy Peters, Currie, Collie, and T. Dodds as being the pick of the handicaps. For the distance events the entry is also good, there being 11 in the 220 Yards, D. Sanson being on scratch, with a limit of 13 yards. The 440 Yards has 14 entries, Sanson again on scratch, with a limit of 15. The Half-mile has 20, A. Couling being on scratch, with a limit of 40, while the Mile has 14, with M. Small, on virtual scratch, 15, the limit being 100 yards. In the Novice W. J. Duff is scratch out of 15 entrants, the limit being 8 yards. Given fine weather a very successful day's sport should result. The Oamaru Hibernian Society is out with its programme of sports for Easter Monday. As usual, the principal event is the Grand Sheffield Handicap, of £25, to be run of 130 yards (on the old grounds, and Erior to this year, the distance has always een 200 yards), the prize money being diviSed as follows:— First £15, second £7, third £2 10s to the winners of heats, prizetakers excepted. Nomination, 10s; acceptance, ss. There is also a 100 Yards, Halfmile, and Mile Handicaps, liberally endowed; a Ooe Mile and A-half Hibernian Wheel Race, of £7, £2, And

£1, and this, with the other athletic events, ' should result in a very good day's sport. Entries close for the running events on April 4. At a recent meeting of the South Canterbury Centre of the New Zealand Athletio Union, a permit was granted to the South Canterbury Professional Athletic Club to hold sports on November 9 next,' the programme including a £50 Sheffield Handicap. A. A. Thomson, Dunedin, with 12 yards in the 440, and 20 in the Half-mile, is looked upon locally as a probable winner at the Invercargill sports on the 18th. ' Thomson is running very well just now. Collie's chances in the distances up to a quarter are also very bright, while Duff, the other Dunedin entrant, expects to get amongst the prize-winners, too. I wish them all luck. Large entries have been received for the Blenheim sports this week, a record having been established in this direction, xhe 220 Yards has 34- entrants, the 150 Yards 33, St. Patrick's Handicap (120 yards) 32, the Half-mile 20, 75 Yards 25, and 440 Yards 27 entries. C. G. Morris, J. Shivas, E. France, and R. D. Chalmers are amongst the list of entrants. The Blueskin Caledonian Society has drawn, up a very attractive programme for the third annual sports on Easter Monday. The chief running event is the Blueskiu Handicap, of 200 yards, the prizes being £4, £2, £1. Other running events are over distances of 75, 100, 150, 220, 440. 880, and 1760 yards, each race carrying good prize money. Jumping, hammer-throwing, etc., also appear on the programme. All entries are post entry. The New Zealand championship quoitmg will be held at Winton on the 19th, the prizes being: — First, £10 and gold medj.l; second, £5; third, £2. All the leading quoiters in the South Island are expected to take part. On the second day (20th) a handicap event will take place, the prizewinners of the first day being barred. The two evente will occupy the whole of two days, and for New Zealand is a novel athletio event. The winner of the championship will be recognised as such by the New Zealand Athletic Union. To date the South Canterbury Centre of the New Zealand Athletic Union have registered 127 competitors, which number already exceeds the last year's total. The receipts so far are £22 14s Bd, and the expenditure £5 5s 2d, while nearly £7 is owing to the centre. . Very large entries have been received for the athletic events to be held in connection with the Napier Carnival on the 21st, there being 43 in the Sheffield Handicap, while each of the other two events have received over 20 entries. An unusual amount of interest is being taken in the gathering. Bert Knox, the ex-Dunedm runner, makes his "first appearance in Napier, being an entrant in the Sheffield and 440 Yards Handicaps. The New Zealand Athlete Union, has allotted the pole and high-jumping championships to the St. Patrick's Sports Society at Geraldine. W. Fitzgerald, the present pole ohampion, who recently met with a mishap while practising, is well again, and will defend his title. Some excellent jumping should be witnessed, as LJ. Campbell (high "jump champion), E. Kyan, and E. Horgan will be competitors in botn events. The Otago Boxing Association intend holding a tournament in March. The tournament will provide contests for all weights, and judging by the inquiries from likely aspirants to boxing fame, there should be record entries. It is the committee's intention this season to carry out all competitions on strictly amateur lines.