THE PLAYGROUND.

Southland Times, Issue 14636, 28 January 1911, Page 3

THE PLAYGROUND.

(By “Onlooker.”)

The Irish Athletic Society’s programme, including the conditions for the St. Patrick’s Sheffield Handicap (135 yds), with £4O and Sir Joseph Wards gold medal available to the winner, has be- n issued. There is talk of a wrestling match In three styles eventuating between Aiex. Bain, the Scottislt athlete, and Frank Forde. the Southland champion. Air J. Bell, secretary to the Southland branch of the N.Z, Cycling and Athletic Union, has had the matter of arranging the meeting in hand for some lime. The local man is perfectly willing to enter into the match. Correspondents who have been writing to the papers in connection with the dispute between the N.Z.A.F. and the Southland Caledonian Society may not be aware that the parties concerned have been in treaty fur some time past, with the result that the last lias practically been heard of the disagreement between the ruling body and the society.

The Lnmsden pedestrian. A. S. Peters, has been running fairly well for worn o time past, but is troubled by a strained sinew. He will probably be found nominating for some of t lie valuable prises in the Irish A.S.’s programme. The President of the local branch of the N.Z. Cvcling and Athletic Union (31 r R. Wilson) was a busy man at Browns sports on Wednesday, as he had a large field of quoiters under a;s supervision, despite the large number of men prevented from entering owing to their having participated in an Unregistered ga the ring.

Admirers of the Hedgehops youth, H. McLeod, were greatly disappointed to find him beaten over middle distances at Browns sports, but ho was partly to blame for using bad judgment. In the half-mile he ran on the outside of his field all the way. and it was not. therefore, surprising to find a strong finisher like R. Kennedy defeating him in a run home on a rough truck. At the same time, it would be just as well for McLeod's connections to see that the boy does not overtax his powers, and thus lose his ability, a happening which has befallen many boy runners.

Thqjiew secretary of the Irish A.S.. Sir B. E. Murphy, seems to be quite up to grappling with his many duties, but he has no need to fail for want of a good adviser, as Mr J. Macnamara will still be on hand to prompt him, and what that gentleman does not know about running a big cash athletic gathering is very harmless. The Invercargill pedestrian S. Crawford was recently handicapped for several Hawke’s Bay sports fixtures, but was quickly placed out of court by being stood on 2 yards in a 75 yards handicap, with a limit of 12yds. The southerner was asked to give away starts in like proportion in other distances. Crawford’is fairly fast over sprint courses, but cannot give away starts of this nature to average runners. He has always raced well over from 50yds to 100 yds, consequently handicappers not acquainted with him personally might easily over-rate him if compelled to |udge by a mere list of past deeds.

An incident which occurred in one of die mat.cnes which the Oxford and Cambridge Golfing Society played on their tour in the States a year ar two ago s a good example of how the sporting spirit differs in the two countries. One of the English team, says Mr Garden G. Smith, in the ‘-Globe,” lost his bail, and after he and his opponent and their caddies had searched for it for about five minutes, the Englishman said. ‘Well, I suppose it’s no good, we had better go on.” “Do you give it up?” said his opponent in the manner of asking a conundrum. “Yes." said the Englishman. “Well,” said the American sportsman, pointing to some loose grass "where the ball lay embedded, “there’s your ball.”

Miss Ruby Roberts, the professional lady billiard champion of Australia, who in company with her mother and Mr and Mrs John Roberts, is touring the East, states in a letter, written to her uncle, Mr Chas. Memmott, that the party was in excellent health, and that the tour is proving successful financially. The fees she mentions as being given her for exhibition gomes are ■very bigVi. awl people wWWwg. pay 7s to watch the play. In Colombo an amateur undertook to give Miss Roberts 100 in 400: he lost the game by 323 points. Before leaving for England, In March, the party will visit Burmah, where a number of ladies’ clubs are established. Roberts, writing to Messrs Aieock, says that he is much pleased With the progress his pupil is making. There has been a great deal of talk In Australia of late, as to the improvement of the local champion as a sculler and the likelihood of his giving R. Arnst > tough race for the world’s championship, but there does not seeni to bo a great desire to find the £SOO necessary to enable him to clinch a match with the powerful Maorilander. There is no doubt that Arnst fully expects a meeting with Pearce, but there does not seem much prospect of this being brought about.

Writing from South Africa to a Sydney friend, sprinter A. B. Postin states that he has fully recovered his health and feels equal to tackling any of the men now before the public with claims on the world’s championship. He points out that he fully intended making a match with our visitor C. E. Hoi way, but was prevented from doing so owing to a misunderstanding on the latter’s part. There is just a chance that the pair may meet in Australia within the next few months, but, failing this, will probably have a race in England after Holway returns from a projected visit to the United States to see his people. Holway recently toid the writer that he thought of retiring at the end of another twelve months, with the object of taking up a position as paid coach to one of the American Universities, which pay large sums to capable men for teaching students how to hold their own in various branches of athletes. Holway does not anticipate any difficulty in obtaining a berth of this kind, as to have won a world's championship outside his own country will prove a very high recommendation for him.

It was rather unfortunate for Victoria that swimmer Beaurepaire should go stale on the eve of Australian championship events, as the young amateur Is a wonder in his way. However, a rest will do the crack no harm, as he has had a very arduous time during the past two years, having been constantly in competitions, swimming in England. Scotland, Germany, Belgium, Norway, and France, to say nothing of his many starts in Australia. The directors of the Irish Athletic Society found it impossible to lay off a suitable quarter-mile track at Rugby Park, consequently the old 550 yds circuit will be used on Marcli 15th next. A Than of this track is to form a feature of tlie sports programme, so that the public, like the patrons of the Southland R.C. and other turf institutions. will have no difficulty in understanding the situation when amateur tmd professional pedestrians and cyclists .sec out in pursuit of prize-money.

The Southland Centre of the X.Z. Amateur Athletic Association will hold t(if Southland Provincial Championships on Feb. 22 at Otautau, under the auspices of tlie Otautau Harrier and Amateur Athletic Club. The following championships will be decided: —IOO yards flat. 220 yards flat, 410 yards flat, halfmile fiat, one mile flat, three mile flat, one mile walk, 120 yards hurdles. 4(0 yards hurdles, pole vault, hop. step, and .lump, long jump, high jump, putting I,olh shot, throwing lOlh hammer. The handicap events comprise;—inn yards, 200 yards, half-mile, and mile. A championship shield will be awarded to the club whose representatives sain the largest number of points in championship events. After the sports a team will be selected by Dr Snow and Me.-sre K. A. McKenzie and G. P. Kedclell to represent Southland at the >. T ew Zealand Championships at Christchurch on March 4th. Entries close on Friday, February 10. B'lliardist George Gray keeps on in his cun quering march, but the cable man is silent in regard to prospects of his meeting Stevenson, the acknowledged champion. The latter does not seem an.', ion- t■> encounter Gray, but if be doc n in so his reputation wiil surely sufp-r. 1 iwever, the public are strongly e \r, ■' the boy, and this Is the main th’ lien till is said and done, from hi c .-i.it of view. Otautau Athletic Society will hold their annual sports gathering on the Wednesday following the Irish Athletic Society's meeting. A programme of 22 events will be submitted, including a Sheffield Handicap of £ls. The meeting Is a popular one with athletes, and should not fail to attract the public.

Interest in the cycling match between Messrs Shand and Lambert for £2O aside over two miles continues to grow. Both riders are training seriously and their meeting should provide the most attractive feature of the Invercargill Cycling Club’s sports during the first week of March.

Mr C. McLennan, ex-Southland Rugby representative and member of the Star F.C., is at present located at Greymouth, and in communicating with the writer, asks to be remembered to all old friends in Invercargill. Prince Wladimir Teropakoff, a penniless nobleman, sacrificed his life at Moscow in an attempt to win a strange wager. Count Waldig, a wealthy landowner, made a bet with him that he would not drink a gallon of liquor at a draught. The Prince’s reward if he accomplished the feat was to be the title deeds of a valuable estate. The Prince ate nothing all day, with, the exception of a salt herring, and in the evening, in tlie presence of the Count and four witnesses, he raised a gallon jar to his lips and drank steadily until lie set it down empty. The title deeds of the estp.te were handed over to him, but hardly had he received them when he sank to the ground, and died in a few moments.

A Sydney cablegram, dated January 26, advises that "it is stated in Northern Union League football circles that the finest team af New Zealand Rugby players will visit Australia next season. a number of stars in the Rugby Union firmament having promised to make the trip.” That a few of the leading Rugby players may go over to the other game will readily be believed, but they will probably hail from the north of the North Island, as the Northern Union game has not flourished elsewhere as widely as was expected by its friends. It is estimated that there are SOOO motor cars in Australasia. At an average selling price of £4OO each, the total cost of these cars would be £3,200,000. Surely it is time something was done towards building cars in the Commonwealth or New Zealand. At the present time £30.000 worth of curs tire being sold weekly in Australasia, figures calculated to make thinking colonials reflect deeply. SWIMMING. AUSTRALIAN CHA3IPIONSHIPS. A WORLD’S SIXTY YARDS RECORD. (By Telegraph.—Press Association.—Copyright.) BRISBANE, Jan. 26. At swimming the breast stroke championship of Australia (100 yards) resulted as follows: —Wickman (New South Wales) 1, Findlay (West Australia) 2, Mendoza (Queensland) 3. Time, Imin 19 3-ssecs. At the first attempt all the competitors were disqualified on the grounds that they did not swim square all the way, or touched with both hands. Wickham’s first time was Imin 13 4-4secs. Half-mile Championship : Hardwick (New South Wales) 1, Longworth (New South Wales) 2, Springfield (Queensland) 3. Time, 12min 17% secs. Won by six yards. Wickham put up a world’s record for stxiy yards, namely, Slsecs. BOWLING. An interesting six-rink match took place on Wednesday last between the Northend and Southland Clubs. The former was weakened somewhat by the absence of half - a - dozen representative players, but even had these been present they could have hardly prevented the defeat of their club, though they might have helped to make it less crushing. The green was rather heavy after the rain, but as usual played very true. Afternoon tea was provided by the ladles of the Southland Club,, and was much enjoved by the players. The game consisted of 25 heads, this number being agreed on in order to have a full afternoon's play:— S’ndN’nd C. Dykes, J. Stevenson, J. Manson, J. McNatty 23 W. Leek. S. McDonald, S. L. Padget, C. E. Hannah .... 22 W. Wesney. J. England. W. Stead, J. Rennie 29 C. J. Broad, T. Meredith, P. L. Gilkison, J. Hain 27 0. Bastings, W. Willcox. R. U'esney, R. Ersklne . . . . 29 W. Ay son, Nf. S>p\te. XI. Uoekburn, J. Tates 25 A. Ji. Porter, R. Galbraith, A. Ayling, J. Leggatt . . .. 27 J. McLauchlan. F. Thomson, A. Steans, O. J. Wilson .... 16 W. L. McLean, J. J. Hiskens, W. Whitaker, A. D. Millar 31 J. H. Loudon, F. Joyce. J. Holloway, T. A. Wallace . . . . 18 1. J. Petrie. A. Raeside, T. D. Kingsland, A. E. Smith . . . . 35 J. Mcllwrick, G. Stevens, T. Watson, S. Hunter .... 13 Total .. ~ 174 121 BOWING. REGATTAS. To-day—Kaiapoi. Feb. G—A’elson. Feb. 9—Christchurch. Feb. 15—Invercargill. Feb. IS —Wellington. Feb. 25—Wanganui (championships). 3lar. 11 —Napier. Mar. 23—Otago Anniversary. Apr. 15 —Queenstown (Easter).

Until Thursday of this week prevailing westerly winds interfered considerably with training operations of local crews on the estuary. On Thursday morning, however, those who were keen enough to go in for a before-breakfast spin were rewarded with beautifully culm water, and as the same pleasant conditions prevailed all day many crews seized the opportunity to get in a hard practice again in the evening.

It is fairly clear that if town crews wish to get the requisite amount of work in the boat to put them into decently confident condition for a regatta, at almost any stage of the season, a certain amount of morning training is indispensable. It is not suggested that very solid work should be indulged In, or hard unrestrained sprinting, but the comparatively calm water that is almost invariable in the early mornings gives a crew a chance to acquire combination. At the same time it may be candidly said that there is a great deal of foolishness talked about morning rowing. If a man who goes to bed at ten o’clock at night comes along and honestly maintains that in his experience early morning rowing is bad for his health lie may be listened to. Because it is a sure tiling that he gets up in the morning to feed the fowls, and take in the milk, and light tlio fire, and make the porridge, and indulge in other mild forms of exercise of that sort. A man who lias sufficient energy to get into rowing togs occasionally doesn’t want any more than eight hours sleep. The whole thing rests on going to bed at a decent hour — the decent hour suggested being ten o’clock.

It was one Dr Watt who uttered the highly edifying sentiment—“ Twas the voice of die sluggard, I heard him complain; you have waked mo too soon, I must slumber again.” It goes something like that; any of your small nephews or nieces, will tell you. Some time back the idea occurred to a brilliant genius that early rising was a fruitful cause of insanity, whereupon the simple-min-ded hr Watt was brought up-to-date, thusly:—“’Twas the voice of the sluggard, I heard him complain; Don’t wake me too early, You’ll make me insane.’’ The moral of it all is: Buy an alarm clock. Those new-fangled tortures that repeat, at short intervals, for about half an hour are to be recommended. They have been known to develop brilliant conversational ability in the most silent men. It is a wise precaution to hang them out of reach of the bed, and also to put your bools outside the door before going to bed. There is not a great deal to he said about current doings in the local rowing world. Clubs have most of their regatta crews going in view of the Invercargill Regatta on 15th Feb.

The H luff men are very keen tins swisuu. Most of them are such splendid physical specimens, and are engager! in such healthy, muscle-building occupations, that they do not require to go in for the careful preparations that most Invercargill men find necessary in order to become physically fit. They are splendid watermen too. and can tackle any kind of jobblc witli a degree of skill that is worth lengths in a race. It must not be forgotten, however tliis for the men who earn their bread and dripping by wearing out an office stoo l —that rowing pace is not so much a matter of strength as of application. The Invercargill Senior four is quite like old times with Tom Brown in the

No. 3 seat. The premature veteran is to be congratulated on the discovery that he is not yet an old man. He is training hard, and is enjoying himself. The crew is shaping splendidly. It has been taken in hand by W. T. Johnston, himself a fine oar, and perhaps one of the best coaches that the I.R.C. has been fortunate enough to possess. The Youths Four, with Stout in the No. 2 seat vacated by McQueen, who is away north to attend college, is putting in steady work, and improves on the promise shown earlier in the season. Bow seems to have devcdoped a habit of dropping his right shoulder at the catch. This is caused by rushing too quickly up the slide, and swinging forward after the front stops have been reached. There should be no forward movement of the body after the slide is full forward. The body swing and the slide should finish absolutely together. The Maiden Four—Ritchie, Rae, Sutherland, and Grant—has not been able to get in any spins in the four during the week, as No. 3 has been in camp with the No. 2 Rifle Battalion. The crew is strengthened by the inclusion of Sutherland, and should be able to maintain a good position in future regattas. The No. 2 Malden Four—Williams, Carswell, Meikle and Holst—has the makings of a good crew, and has been coached during the week by W. T. Johnston. Williams is one of the promising oarsmen of the shed, and the three men behind him have earned their positions by consistently good club work. Gilmour’s junior four has been settling down to steady work, and has never really been seen to better advantage during ■ the present season. Stroke himself shows encouraging signs of returning to something like his form of the latter part of last season. The No. 2 Juniors originally comprised Broad, Milos, Bainbridge and Forde —a powerful crew which, with a decent chance together, should be able to shake up most crews on the water in their class. There appears, however, to be some doubt about No. 2 being able to spare the time for training, Bainbridge is a new man to the shed, but is obviously an experienced oar, and his work at practice as a substitute in the senior crew a few weeks back showed that he was a powerful one as well. Broad is very keen and has been a lively stroke in many races, and it is to be hoped that a crew will be found for him. There is some prospect of Hugh Carswell being available for the vacant seat in this crew. . That would be eminently satisfactory. It was a great pity that Carswell, with the halo of last season’s work still shining, was not able to put in the time at the shed earlier in the season.

The Railway Senior Four has been altered by the inclusion of Grant, who has been appointed to fill the No. 2 seat left vacant by Deputy-Captain Robison, the latter being unable to spare the time to train with the crew. Grant has proved himself to be an extremely capable oar, and at present strokes the best youths’ crew in Southland —the Railway Youths. He is quite equal to the demands of the senior crew which should shortly be up to the good showing made at Riverton. Railway Juniors will be weakened by the loss of Grant as it is too much to expect him to row in the Youths, Junior, and Senior Fours. Hamlyn may, however, be trusted to get his crew into good fighting trim. His phief fault is, perhaps, that he is somewhat erratic; with a. bit of ballast he would be a very much better stroke.

Ferns is another good man who (for want of a bit of ballast) is not always seen at his- best. .Taken all through, however, the Railway crewp, show every prospect of being up to the mark when the time comes tpsshow-what work they have been doing.

Owing to the- recent boisterous weather, practically none of the Railway crews has been out since Bluff. Several alterations have been made in some of their crews on account of some members not being available for the Invercargill Regatta. Robison’s retirement from the Senior crew through pressure of business left a vacancy which was filled by placing Cockroft in the bow, and bringing Grant the stroke of the Youths into No. 2 seat. The crew has not been out yet, as Walker is away on holidays. Some difficulty is being experienced in filling the vacancy in the Junior four through Grant's transfer to the senior crew, but a capable man should be found without much difficulty but the crew will scarcely be as strong , as at YAutl.

It was rumoured that the Railway i Club were not going to bother with a crew for the senior fours, as three of the crew are juniors. It would certainly look a powerful junior crew with Grant (stroke), Clarke (3), Hamlyn (2), and Cockroft (bow). By rowing these men as juniors the club would have a better chance of getting Into the prize lists. The Maiden and Youths’ Fours will be the same, but there will be slight alterations in the pairs and sculls. The Southland Rowing Association lias notified the Invercargill and Railway Clubs that the Mayoral’Fours Race will take place as soon after tire Invercargill Regatta as possible, and that entries will close on Saturday, the 4th February. The race is open to every financial member of both clubs, which should be a good thing for the club treasurers, as any member whose subscription is unpaid will be unable to complete. Torn Mair is making a first-class piece of work with repairing the hole stove in the Railway racing four at the Bluff Regatta. It was a ticklish bit of work —the deck having to be opened up and a rylet put under the bulkhead between the .well and the canvas end. RIVERTON REGATTA CLUB. At . a committee meeting of the Riverton Regatta Club held last week the objection raised by the Southland Rowing Association to the ruling in regard to the dead heat between Invercargill and Railway Clubs in the Senior Pairs at the Boxing Day Regatta was considered. The secretary was instructed to inform the Association that the club had acted in accordance with the rule —“In the event of a dead heat any competitor refusing to row again, as directed by the committee, shall be adjudged to have lost.” (The point about this incident was that Railway had refused to row again and were adjudged to have lost. The Invercargill Club, however, claimed that their crew also refused to row again, and should possibly have also been adjudged to have lost.) The committee also considered the protest lodged by the Invercargill Rowing Club against the disqualification of their maiden pair (which passed the judge with a considerable lead) for going inside a buoy which, it was claimed, had not been pointed out as marking the course. The starter’s steward (Mr Green), and ttie secretary (Mr Beer), stated that they had made public the course. In the case under notice the crew had crossed from No. 1 position on the south shore right over into No. 8 position, and, under the rule that each boat shall keep to its own water throughout a race. A boat departing from its own water will do so at its own peril, the club did not recognise the protest. (It is only fair to mention here that the rule above, imperfectly quoted, continues “if touched while out of it.” The practice of crossing over in front of other competing crews is strongly to be deprecated, but few umpires would disqualify a boat that was so far in front as to be beyond all possible chance of being touched.) The approximate balance-sheet of the regatta shows a profit of £o. The leceipts from the railway amounted to £44 (as against £39 In 1909), representing 3295 adult passengers. Subscriptions amounted to £53, and entry money to £27 botli being an increase on the previous year. The expenditure, including £9O prize-money, amounted to £ll9. The committee voted Dir A. J. Ball, of Invercargill, £2 for third prize in the sailing race, deeming that lie was entitled to some consideration, as he had brought two boats round for the sailing race and so made it more attractive. the Ttmr. (Notes By “Sir Modred.”) Jockey J. Olsen again won throe races on the second day of the Tapanuf gathering, two on Silkworm’s sou, Seagar, and the third on Portfire. At a Committee meeting of the Dunedin J.C. on Thursday, it was announced that Wingalui racecourse had been let for the following picnics : —Builders' Association, All Saints’ Sunday School, City Corporation employees, and Independent Order of Oddfellows. The same tiling may be expected to happen In Invercargill’s vicinity, when the Southland R.C.’s course is beautified to the extent contemplated. On the second day of the Tapanui meeting the sprinter Seaside (St. Patrick —Seaward mare) was sold to Mr J. McAuliffe, of Timaru, for £22, and Oblige

(Obligado—Luerinde) was purchased by Mr J. Ussher, of Kelso, for £23.

The stock of the Southland trotting stallion Mambrino King appear to win in their turn with something like regularity in Canterbury, and the latest of his progeny to gain distinction is a j mare called School Girl. This daughter j Of 31 r Mortimer’s- horse and Factory Girl (sister to Factory Boy) won the Trial Handicap (IV 2 miles) at the South Canterbury T.C.’s meeting in 4 min. 4 secs. The winner started favourite and defeated ten others easily. After his victory in the Metropolitan Handicap (6 fur.) on the second day of the Wellington R.C.’s meeting, racegoers were inclined to think that Obsono had been defeated by a fluke in the Telegraph Handicap (6 fur.) on Cup Day. Thus great interest was taken in the contest for the City Handicap (6 fur.) on the concluding day, when Gipsy Belle (Cup day winner) and Obsono met again. On the opening day the mare carried 1 8.3 and Obsono 7.9, while 8.12 and 5.6 formed their respective burdens in the City Handicap. In the race Gipsy Belle attended Obsono for four furlongs, but then retired and finished outside a place, while the Queenstown horse won by two lengths from Dearest and Formby. Southern form was thus justified, but Obsono ran very badly in the Telegraph Handicap, all the same, and this opinion will meet with the approval of many backers of doubles and thick and thin admirers of Mr Mcßride’s speedy horse. It is understood that the recentlyappointed Racing Commission, who are to deal with the allocation of permits, toalisator licenses, etc., will sit in Invercargill to hear evidence and generally gain information as to the state of the turf in Southland. Any person acquainted with Mr T. E Wilkins and the strength of his team of trotters when the Southland summer turf campaign opened would probably have been eager to wager that a number of races would fall to'his share, but it is the unexpected that happens in racing, and when dame fortune frowns on an owner be generally feels the pinch in his pocket. These remarks are in keeping with what has happened to Kit Kelly, Ma Chere, and Becky Seaton, while on Thursday at Tapanui Mr Wilkins won on Arbitress, but the race had to be re-run under unique circumstances and on the second attempt the Heriot sportsman could not get nearer than second place, although he* was only beaten by half a length. It was away back in that period between 1888 and 1891 that the Aucklandbred horse Carbine, by Musket—Mersey, made his mark in New Zealand and Australian turf history, but that he has not been forgotten was apparent at 3lessrs Fuller’s Zealandia Hall moving picture -show on Thursday and Friday evenings. A special picture of the famous veteran was recently taken by permission of the Duke of Portland, and thus Carbine is nightly screened as he appears at the renowned Welbeck Stud to-day. During AWs. htv. Ww VuW “UAY YwrXC «> 'ed in 43 races, recorded 33 wins, six i seconds, and three thirds, while he won in stakes £29,475. It has to bo remembered that in the days referred to the stakes a\i round dtd not approach those nf to-day in value, but the 3lelbourne Cup of 1890, won by Mr D. S, Wallace’s champion, was the most valuable ever competed for either before that date or since.

A peculiar situation is stated to hqve arisen over the Dash Trot (one mile) on the second day of the Tapanui fix ture. The event was for saddle horses only, but, It is alleged that Lagoon started in a sulky, and in addition was the cause of bringing Diving Bell down and giving his rider (W. Jones) a very nasty spill, while J.C. and Imperil were badly interfered with. The race resulted in a win for Arbitress, with J.C. second , and Dairymaid third. The stewards are stated to have ordered the race to be re-run, with the result that J.C. . won on the second attempt from Arbitress, with Dairymaid again third. Even allowing that' there were other circumstances surrounding the first race of which the public are not aware, a nice point seems to have cropped up, which will probably come under the notice of the N.Z. Trotting Association. Arbitress might easily have teen proclaimed the winner on the facts at present to hand. In connection with this race at last season's meeting of the T.R.C., It was only at the last minute that trainer T. Tilson discovered it was a saddle event, and in consequence had to start Silver Black and Evening Star as saddle candidates. It is stated that when Diving Bell fell in tne fust of the above races, he looked very dangerous. \V. Jones was unable to ride owing to tha effects of his fall and T. Bice occupied the saddle the second time, but Diving Bell was sore and could not finish closer up than fourth place. Jones was not seriously hurt, hovrver, as he could get about the following morning, but is likely to feel st'fx ana sore for a few days.

A balance-sheet issued in connection with the recent Gore P. G s Summer meeting shows : —Receipts : nominations and acceptances, £570 ; privileges and books, £ll9 10s; gales, £3‘) 1 Ms; totalisator and bookmakers, £1309 2s 6d—total £2390 6s 6d. Expenditure ; Stakes, £1500; totalisator tax, £287 Us vd: band and lunch, £3O; clerk and sundries. -12; attendants, £27 10s; printing and advertising, £73 16s ; balance profit, £159 9s 2d. An Auckland telegram received last night states; —The well-known racehorse Eochbuie, which was badly injured some weeks ago, was in such a had way that it was deemed advisable to destroy him, and the son of Cyrenian was shot yesterday. BUNEDIH CUP EHTBEES. SOUTHLAND STABLES REPRESENTED. DUNEDIN, Jan. 27. The following nominations for leading events have been received for the Dunedin Jockey Club’s Autumn meeting;— DUNEDIN CUP of 500 sovs (one mile and *a-half)— Effort, Iranui, Romany Maid, Colleen Mary, Fasnakyle, Stratagem,’ Rose Noble, Prim, Coroniform, Martine, Waiju, Warsaw, Adjudge, Los Angelos, Chief Lochiel, Cronstadt, Boutade, JOCKEV CLUB HANDICAP of 350 sovs (one mile and a-quarter)—Effort. Iranui, Gapon, Romany .Maid, Colleen Mary, ’ Fasnakyle, Stratagem, Rose Noble Prim. Coroniform, Martine. Waiju, Warsaw, Adage, 1-os Angelos, Chief Lochiel, Genius, Pretty Face, Cronstadt. Boutade, Adjudge. CRICKET. CANTERBURY v. AUCKLAND. AUCKLAND, January 27. The weather does not look too promising for the Canterbury-Auekland match', which will begin to-morrow. After a long succession of sunny days, there was a storm this afternoon, and for half an hour soaking rain fell. Canterbury eleven will not bo finally chosen until to-morrotv morning, if the weather is fine. Probably Crawshaw will stand down. Messrs W. B. Gerrard and A. Sando will officiate as umpires. MOTOK CYCLING. THREE RECORDS BROKEN. CHRISTCHURCH, January 27. J. Orlowski, a local cyclist, to-day lowered tho one, two, and three-mile

motor paced Australasian records on the track at Lancaster Park. Times —One mile, Imin 42 3-osec (previous record Imin 46sec); tw r o miles, 3min 35 3-ssec (previous record, Smin 46%secs). Three miles, smin 21 3-ssecs (previous record, Smin 26secs.) All the previous records were held by “ Plugger Bill ’ Martin and . were made at Leeston on April 2, 1902. The weather conditions were perfect. TENNIS. GORE v. WYNDHAM. The first match between these clubs was played at Gore on Wednesday afternoon. Rain fell in the morning, but the weather In the afternoon was all that could be desired, and a most enjoyable game resulted. Gore had rather an easy win (18 games). Afternoon tea was dispensed by the Gore laaies. The following are the scores: — —Gentlemen’s Singles.— Wy’m. Gore. Henderson 9, Porter 2, Pauli 3, Buchanan 8 22 Donaldson 4. Laing 9, McKenzie 9, Gillespie 9 31 —Ladies’ Singles.— Misses C. Marsh 6, J. 3larsh 6, M. 3larsh 6, T. March 6 24 Miss Fleming 4, Mrs Bowler : 4, 3liss Landels 3. Miss Bowler 4 13 —Combined Doubles. — Miss C. Marsh and Henderson 2, Miss J. Marsh and H. Porter 5, 3liss M. 3larsh and J. Marsh 3,. 3liss T. Marsh. and Ive 3 13 Miss Fleming and Donaldson 6, 3lrs Bowler and Laing 6, Miss Landels and McKenie 6, 3liss Bowler and Scott 6 24 Totals 77 95 A return match will be played at i Wyndham next Wednesday. BOXING. N.Z. CHAMPION RUDD DEFEATED. NAPIER, January 26. The fight for the heavyweight championship of New Zealand between Bill Rudd and J. Blackmore (New South Wales) took place at Hastings to-night. After fighting for 2min 55sec in the first round Blackmore went down, and Rudd struck him. The referee interfered, and awarded the fight to Blackmore on a foul. • SB SHE LEON’S NEW DISCOVEBY. Is the most wonderful remedy ever discovered for the cure of Coughs and Colds. It will cure you when all others have failed. Is 6d and 3a. Obtainable everywhere.