Sports and Pastimes.

Timaru Herald, Volume XIIC, Issue 13974, 7 August 1909, Page 4 (Supplement)

Sports and Pastimes.

The rioting at Auteuil, Franco, on June "21, entailed serious financial loss to the organisation which owns the course.. When the trouble began £B,960 had been taken at the turnstiles as admission money. Out of this £2,400 was returned to angry spectators at the grand exit, and £640 was returned at other exits. The amount invested in the pari-mutuel was £60,000 less than last year. As a percentage of the pari-mutuel receipts goes to the relief of the poor, it is calculated that the amount will be quite £I2OO less than last year's contribution. The l staole lads held a meeting and agreed to ' • surnc work if the trainers would recognise their union. If they do not cognise it the lads declare that Ibe Grand Prix, which is the most :t> - portant event of the sporting year, wi , not take place. • The newly formed union is entirely controlled by the General Confederation of Labour, M. Patand's organisation. The agitatois of this body who addressed tne 'u'ls made fiery speeches against the Government. Even if the racecourse were surrounded by soldiers and police they said, it would not matter, for the General Confederation of Labour iviui!a bring l up its "national guard" of fiitv thousand navvies,' who would carry everything before them. Pataud is said to liave thought of the Auteun strike as a "pleasant change" Iron* the postal upheaval. A'large number of .the trainers who are aitected b\ the strike are Englishmen. They haVo been strongly advised to recognise the stable lads' union.

At Pretoria, South Africa, on Juno 21st, a Jsill was gazetted and will be shortly introduced by iUr .Lie Villiers, the Attorney-General, dealing wrtn horse racing and betting, aim aiming at preventing the disseiwiiatiou of better information. The proposals include tile licensing oi racecourses, ana the prohibition of racing in the Witwateisrand and -x'retoria tlistricts except on Saturdays and public holidays, wiLii tUe exception ot diristmas, Uooc* Friday and Ascension Uay. Vine Bill further forbids the selling of race cams except oil racecourses anil oil race days, . aiid prohibits' ajl betting .-except on racecourses on race days, and uii racers , actually ruu there, which precludes, betting on Englisn races. It prohibits betwng oil ail other sports, and minors and coloured wih not be allowed to publish betting information prior -to races or other.sporting events. it further prohibits too circulation of South .African newspapers containing betting 'information, anii the dissemination in any other niahnc. of batting- information on events ,in or outside fcsoutli Africa, prior to rosulxi. The Bill taxes the--.totalisat6.rv2' ;p«i cent; of its gross takings. Settling rooms will be allowed to opeii for hv._hours a day following the races; otherwise, excepting on racecourses on. racedays, settling will be an otience, the penalties for which provide, on hrst conviction- a fine of £ls or in default imprison ment hot exceeding six months, and on the- second or subsequent conviction six. months imprisonment without the option of a hue.

C. H. Mayo, the Burhill golf; professional, had only' to play ordinarily wi.il' in nis match of 72 holes for £IOU with Peter ltainford" at LlangammarcJi Wells, on June 24th to will. On lus own Mayo, ; by magnificent golr, gained the winning "lead of thirteen holes, and displaying good form he wen on the sixth greeii;in the .afternoon by 13 up and 12 to play. Mayo has never won a match ; more cohcl'usively than this, one and he had never played so well as in the lirst stage. He did not lose a hole until 43 had been decided. For ltainford it has been a severe set. back. During the last two years lie lias beaten Jack lioss, the exchampioii of Wales, by 15 up and 14 to play, and Tom Ball, the young \Vest Lancashire professional, by 5 and 3 in home-and-home money. matches, aiKi his challenge, which Mayo accepted wa.s an open one. • ' There was never any prospect of. a close match. A pulled; drive cost Kainford Che second hole, and at the sixth he stood 15 down. He ivon the seventh (his first success), but lost the ninth, and Mayo turned • witii a lead of 15. Kainford played better coming home. He won the tenth, and although losing the twelfth, where Mayo laid a long tee shot dead, the local man captured the next too holes, lofting over a stymie with his mashie at ' the fourteenth; Mayo, however, Was 13 up, at the end of the morning round, having taken 72 strokes to.. 73 v The afternoon play >vas little more than" a formality, llainsford's position being t hopeless. Both men' showed steady form, and Mayo, retaining his lead; finished the match a dozen holes from home.

The first of three test matches for the American- Challenge Cup between English and American polo teams was played on June 23rd at Hurlingham, and attracted about 5000 spectators. The competition was established in tile United States in 1886, and the three previous contests played each resulted in favour of England. The present American team,, however, is a brilliant combination, and , secured a splendid victory by nine goals to live. In the first chukker the play was of a backward and forward character, each goal being threatened. Freako had a l'all in a scrimmage near goal, and then "Whitney scored for America. L. Waterbv, obtained a second goal from a free hit (given for a foul) from within fifty yards of the English goal, and a few minutes afterwards, ]\l. Waterbury made a fine run down the field, and registered a third point for the visitors, who put on" the fourth and fifth goals before half-time. Amid much enthusiasm, a few minutes after the. restart, Nickalls gained the first honour for England by a slnart piece of play, and a second point was added for the home team. The seventh and eighth points for America were scored by M. and W. Waterbury respectively. In the next few minutes Captain Wilson added two fine goals for his side, and this gave the supporters of the English team some hope, which was strengthened when Nickalls, by a fast run and smart piece of manoeuvring, eluded his followers and scored a fifth goal. Shortly' before time Milburn took the ball through tlu; home posts and completed a decisive and cleverly-won victory.