HARRIER NOTES

Wairarapa Daily Times, 11 May 1932, Page 6

HARRIER NOTES

(By “N-Country.”) A visitor to Masterton on Monday was Mr Ellis Carde, of trie Wanganui Harrier Club. The Wanganui Winter Show is to be held on tne 23rd, Z4th and 25th June, and it is probable that the Masterton Club will visit Wanganui on the 25th as it is customary for this inter-club event to be held in conjunction with the 'Show and for the finish to take place on the showgrounds. Wanganui is reported to have a stronger club than ever this year and Welier, the Johnston Bros., Newton, Bourgeois and Nortliover are all running well at present. 'Consequently ail members of the Masterton Club need to settle down to serious training now in order to put up the best possible showing at Wanganui when we visit them. There is only six weeks from now to the 25th of Juno and if this time is spent in regular training our boys ought to give a good account pi themselves.

■Saturday’s run of a good seven miles of ideal harrier country was just what several of our members needed and an improvement in form should be noticeable next Saturday. The method of letting the runners go as they please instead of dividing them into packs was a distinct improvement for the runners soon sorted themselves into groups of equal ability.

The run in on the end of such a hard run was a severe test of stamina and it was noticeable that the three placegetters were all well-seasoned harriers, although only one of the scratch men, L. Hack, managed to get up with the leaders. Hack is running well this year after his season’s spell, although it is too early yet to judge his form in relation to the other back markers as he lias just finished a season’s track running and must be much fitter than Butherfurd, A. Burns and Co. His stride is undoubtedly a great asset. B. Pringle, who won Saturday’s run-in, showed good form for so early in the season. He finished very determinedly over the last 300 yards and just managed to hold Hack off. Not many runners would have the heart to “give it a go” if a runner of Hack’s calibre and reputation ranged alongside oif them 300 yards from home. Sid Spicer put up a good performance to gain third place and if lie sticks to his training this season he may regain some of his lost laurels.

The Novices: The novices this year are undoubtably the most promising lot that the 'Club has had for years. • Although none of them ran into a place on Saturday several of them were close up; Cairns, in particular, was noticed to produce a very fast finishing effort. Welch, who won the run-in on the official opening day, was not prominent on Saturday, but it was noticed he was wearing new shoes and this probably was the cause. Saturday’s run was not an ideal one for breaking in shoes and several members have blistered toes to prove it. At present the best of the novices appear to be Cresswell, Sellar, Cairns and Welch, although there are any amount more who may surprise and prove superior to the above mentioned runners before the season has advanced much further.