People and Their Doings.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 18992, 11 February 1930, Page 8

People and Their Doings.

Was Dr Peltzer Fairly Handicapped? : Trotters Are Like Runners : Flying N.Z. From EndTo End : The Nunneley Casket.

DR PELTZER may have had good cause for complaint that the field in the 1000 yards’ race at Lancaster Park was placed too far ahead of him to give him much chance, and

that although he did record time he was never within striking distance of the winner. His view is one that athletes can sympathise with, because runners, cyclists and trotting horses have this much in common, that they find a big gap very diffi-

uig gap very aimcult to bridge, whereas, if they have other competitors spaced out at intervals, they often overhaul one after another, establish very fast times, and, in many cases, provide close finishes.

handicapping of foot-runners and trotting horses is identical. Unlike the galloper, which ha# a weight tc carry, the trotting horse is handicapped solely on distance, and the handicapper ought to have an idea of what the competitors are capable of doing and handicap them accordingly. On the other hand, runners, cyclists and horses, at some stage of their career, must reach their best performance, or, maybe, repeat what is known as the top of their form.

At Addington on Saturday a horse called Omaha, handicapped on its known ability to do two miles in 4 minutes 33 seconds, not only won easily, but did a distance in 4 minutes 24 2-5 seconds, which placed it for handicapping purposes in the very best class of trotters in New Zealand. The question, therefore, is whether the handicappers in Peltzer’s race knew how good the winner was, or whether they underrated Instability and expected a closer finish.

9 JT is well-known that champions find it heart-breaking to bridge a huge gap. Years ago, when the famous Major Taylor, then the world’s fastest sprint cyclist, appeared at Lancaster Park, he was hopelessly handicapped out of a race, and, to show his resentment, and at the same time give the public a taste of his quality, he put every ounce of energy into a terrific first lap, in which he sprinted finally to get somewhere near the nearest competitor, and then rode on to the grass, leaving the other riders to settle the race for themselves.

JJJpSS M. NUNNELEY was such a good sport in the tennis world that it seems a pity no challenges have been accepted so far by the Wellington Association for the Nunneley Casket, in which her medals and trophies are enshrined. Canterbury is certainly not going to challenge this year because of the difficulties that Wellington raised in regard to dates last year, and South Canterbury will probably take the same view. Miss Nunneley, who does not play tennis now, although she takes a lively interest in the game, had a terrific forehand drive which she was fond of placing across court to her opponent’s backhand, and a very old player in Canterbury says that it was a more savage drive than Miss May Speirs ever delivered. Miss Nunneley, however, did not go often to the net, although she knew- what to do when she got there occasionally. She probably got her best tennis practice in Canterbury when she was living for a time with Mr T. A. Phillip’s family at The Point. It was quite common for then New Zealand champions, including the late Mr R. D. Harman, to go up to The Point for house parties, in which Miss Nunnelley could hold up her end in a four with three men. Mr Phillips, by the way, still takes an interest in tennis. He came to Canterbury with the First Four Ships. Miss Nunneley held the New Zealand championship for thirteen years running, but in those days the champion only played one match in the challenge round. Miss Mai Simpson, of Linwood, whose family were associated with Simpson and Williams, got several times to the final, but could never break through the vigorous game of Miss Nunneley.

SCIENTISTS tell us that a carp lays had the same capacity they would please Mr J. B. Merrett mightily, for he thinks in millions where eggs are concerned. Mr Merrett, who has lately distinguished himself in London by discovering old documents relating to Melbourne, started in the egg business in Christchurch, and extended it to Australia, where he seemed to get the idea that his talents had been wasted for years, and he launched out on egg handling on a colossal scale. Mr Merrett is a real “ hustler,” and perhaps his greatest asset in business is his appreciation of the value of publicity. He was a constant contributor to the poultry notes of the “ Star ” 3 r ears ago, and even to-day he keeps the “ Star ” posted with up-to-date London reports on the egg markets.

"JJ’EWS that Captain J. D. Hewett, of Auckland, is going to make an attempt to do a non-stop flight from Dunedin to Auckland, recalls the flight from Timaru to Auckland » which was made by Flight-Lieutenant J. C. Mercer, instructor to the Canterbury Aero Club, back in 1920. On that occasion, a DH9 machine which, by the way, was only written off a few months ago, covered the distance from Timaru to Auckland in 6 hours 55mins, a record which has never yet been beaten. Captain P. K. Fowler had flown the machine from Invercargill to Timaru on the previous day, but owing to bad weather, the flight to Auckland could not be continued that day.

of a religious journal in England have been asking themselves whether it was proper to allow Walter Lindrum and Willie Smith to play a billiards match in the Memorial Hall of the headquarter* of Congregationalism in England. The letters have been fairly evenly divided. To one section the raising of money by such means is undignified, whereas another regards high-class billiards as a game of pure skill, demanding a clear eye and a steady hand, and, as such, beyond objection.

The editor invited the players to speak for themselves, and they put up a very good case. They are both nonsmokers and teetotallers, and both emphasise the high degree of mental and physical fitness, and the long period of training, that are necessary

to a billiards champion. “ The better the place,” they say, 44 the better the deed.” There may be economic objections to a man’s devoting his life to a game, but no moral objection. The dexterity of a Kreisler and the delicacy of a Lindrum are really not very far apart; they appeal to different people, that is all. Just how fine a touch is needed in billiards was indicated in the fact that. at Birmingham, when Lindrum first played there, the atmospheric conditions made the balls a bit sticky, and the infinite delicacy of his shots suffered in consequence.