SPORTING NOTES.

Timaru Herald, Volume LXXXI, Issue 12480, 17 September 1904, Page 4 (Supplement)

SPORTING NOTES.

RACING FIXTURES. 1804. September 17, 21 and 24—Avondale J.C. Spring September 22—Lake Tekapo Racing Club. September 29 and 30—Qeraldine R.C. Spring. November 5, 7, 9 and 12—C.J.C. Jubilee Metropolitan Meeting

When the last mail left England Mr Spencer Gollan was going well and strong in the Calcutta. Golf Cup competition at St. Andrew's. He had survived the fifth round. A New York paper says that . Mr C. K. G. Billings, the owner of Lou-Dillon, recently gave 54000 for'Sonoma Girl. It further adds that Sonoma- Gill has in offhand trials, without jMfcparation, trotted better quarters tljan flJPlpillon ever accomplished at her age. Sonoma Girl is somewhat larger than Lou Dillon, and is a beautiful animal. The New South Wales and Queensland teams which will compete in the Australasian boxing championships at Christu'tiurch on September 27th and 29th, leave Sydney on September 17th. On arrival at Wellington they will be the guests of the Wellington centre. The teams are as follows :—New South Wales—Bantam-

weight, T. Dickinson (Australasian champion) ; light-weight, D. Parbury (Australasian champion); middle-weight, G. Graham (ex-champion, New South Wales); heavy-weight, P. Kling (New South Wales champion). Queenslani—Bantam-weight, D. Brown; feather-weight, J. .Dowbridge (Australasian champion); light-weight, J. Bagley (Queensland champion). Jack White, who won the open golf

championship lately, strained his heart; so ■badly in the effort that the doctor has ordered him to give up golf for a .time.

This, is hard luck for him, as the great

profit in winning the open championship is not so much the money prize as the large number of exhibition matches one is engaged for because of it- Of course he will now miss them. A lot of players have felt the strain very much. Hutchings, amateur champion two years ago, has ; hardly played\since. Harry Vardori broke down, and there are other cases of the same sort. The lengthened strain of golf is not the least -understood, except by those who have undergone it. The " Sports of the Times " (New York); says that the race for tne 2.16 pacers at Columbus (O.), on July 16th, uncovered the fastest green pacer of-the season and . the fastest green record of any other year in a first race. Baron Gratton was the favourite at even money,, and the condition was every heat in a 'race. In the first heat, the race from the top of the stretch to the wire was close, fast, and fierce, and at the wire China- Maid just managed to win by ji shorfr nose in 2.6£. In the next battle was as close as in the previous heat, and Baron Gratton paced - the. mare a little faster, but she won again,: this time in Maid was not so good, and Baron Gratton won in - ' "Templar," in the Christchurch "Referee," in his interesting comments on last week's races at Timaru, says :—"Since last autumn several starting barriers have, been erected on the course, and their inauguration was most successful. True,- in . one or two instances horses were left at the post, but that was not attributable to;either the machine or starter,. and altogether Mr C. A. Jefferson can be complimented on making a most auspicious debut in his new role. Unfortunately, the same complimentary Temarks cannot be made regarding the totalisator arrangements, which were again decidedly behind 1 the times. . If the Club wishes to compete with tShe strong opposition always to be expected in the shape of metallician's, it will have to remedy this defect, otherwise the machine cannot hope to compete with the more convenient dispensers of odds, who, at last week's meeting, profited considerably by the incapacity of the totalisator." The steward in charge of the totalisator at the Timaru race meeting has let us into some of the fine points of Tunning a totalisator. In respect to "delay," we are informed that no pay-out slip can be issued till 15 minutes have elapsed after the declaration of the winder. This is a rul" that- the S.C.J.C. stick to, as they have no desire to be let in like a well-known club was some time ago by. paying out too quickly on a placed horse. Another reason for delay was that the totalisator' used was v.ery "delicate," it was found that its interior economy was subject , to spasms; like the coster's donkey,'; sometimes it would go, sometimes it wouldn't budge an inch. Then again bracketed horses (two or more belonging to .one owner) put the totals astray, this fault being not that of the totalisator staff, but the clerk's who had to register telegraphed investments. As a matter of fact, the work done at the machine, considering the great-, difficulties it was worked under—an almost, new staff of assistants and an unfamiliar machine—was very creditable, rising to excellent on the second day. . M. H. Godby's win in the two-mile race at the' 51 ' International L T niversities' contest in London on July 23rd is of more tibatt ordinary interest to New Zealanders owing to the fact that he was born in Tiiftaru,. Solith Canterbury. His father, Mr..M. J. Godby, was well known in athletic circles, and late in the " seventies " he represented Canterbury ajt cricket on several occasions, before returning to England, where he has been living for some years past. " Veteran "in the London " Sportsman," commenting on the two-mile race and the meeting generally, writes:—The last item on the programme was the two' miles, which furnished a great surprise in the magnificent running of the Oxonian, Godby. As in the mile, the Americans were spon left in the rear, Gregson cutting out the work for Churchill, with Godby in close attendance. At the end of the first mile Gregson retired, and Churchill went on from Godby. It was soon seen that the Cambridge man was' in difficulties, but Godby came to the rescue, and,'using his wonderful stride to full advantage, came riglbt away, and won as be liked in 9min SOsec. He finished! perfectly fresh, and his running, compared with that of last March—when, however, he was far from well—was quite a revelation,.

The "Gazette" of the Bth September contains the Order-in-Council dealing with the regulations for the fishing season which opens on October Ist, which regulations revoke those made on the 14th September of last year. The season is to open on October "Ist and close oh April 30th, 1905, in all districts except Auckland, •where the season opens on November Ist and closes on April 15th. Licenses are to be issued at the following rates—£l' for men for the whole season; for women and or boys -under the age of 16 years, 5s for the whole season. The regulations are silent as to weekly, monthly, or halfyearly licenses ; and judging from this such licenses have been done away with. 'lf so, this is much to be Tegretted, for many a lover of fishing can get a holiday at Christmas and New Year or at Easter,, and put in a most enjoyable time on riveror stream; but cannot find time to fish the whole or a greater part of the season; One effect of our directing attention in this column to the untenced state of the P.areora fishing reserve: •wit be pleasing to anglers, namely, of the Council go* to -on**, with the result that orders "wwajgjsg* to have the fencing completed o»--nf Sefore October Ist. It is indeed pleasirfg to find tili.tt ot least 'one member of the Council is alive to the needs of those who actually keep trout-fishing alive by the payment of license fees. The Society h=ie bave plenty of money, and they should do all they can to make the fishing reserves' attractive.

Full details of the international ily and bait-casthig competitions held at the Crystal Palace are given in the London " Fishing Gazette" of July 30th and August 6th. The salmon fly casting competition for professionals was won by J. Jinrigh', 146ycb (three casts), with an 18-feet gicenheart (Castle Connel), weighing 43£oz, Mr J. J. Hardy being second with ft 17ft split cane steel centre, casting 130 yds (three casts). In the amatenr class the green heart again won, Mr D. C. 10. Muir casting 121 yds (three casts) with an 18ft rod, the Hardy ste-el centre being again second (115 yds). In the trout fly-casting, for professionals, Hardy Bros., with their lift oin split cane steel centre, were first and second with 101 yds and 88yds Ift (three cast* in each case); the American split dane being third (854 yds), the gi eenh'eart being disqualified after casting lOOydp 2ft,for being lift 7iu long instead of lift 6in

—very hard luck. In the amateur class for fly Mr F. G. Shaw won with a 10ft 9ia (lloz) Hardy split cane, casting 90yds lft (three casts), the American cane rod (Mills' make) being second, and Foster steel-ribbed whole cane third and fourth. In the class for "dry fly casting for accuracy," a 10ft 9in greentaeart won on points, Leonard split cane being second and third. The illustrations of tie competition are excellent, and all anglers should see the graceful yet workmanlike pose of Miss R. A. Newham, when with her Hardy cane-built steel centre 16ft salmon rod she sent the fly a distance of 35yds 2ft in a single cast. She was the only woman who had the courage to face,the male competitors; and the "Gazette" says:—Everyone admitted the good form Shown by Miss Newham; in fact, in all the competitions' she entered for she did great credit to' ; her ; father's teaching. She Icept her back line tip, more cleanly fhari all the others except Mr Hardy.