POLO.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume IX, Issue 679, 12 March 1903, Page 15

POLO.

Polo players in Auckland are in for a good time. On Saturday next the Auckland Polo Club’s Races and Gymkhana will take place at Alexandra Park. There are eight events down for competition, including a Bending Race, Polo Ball Race, Potato Race, Ladies’ Bracelet, and Waterloo Melee. The speed races will be the Polo Cup, over four furlongs, in which a number of smart ponies are engaged, the Hurdle Race, and Electric Handicap, over three furlongs. The gathering is certain to prove highly interesting, more especially as the members of visiting clubs will be competing, and it is safe to assume that with fine weather the attendance will prove large.

' The big tournament of the Auckland Provincial Polo Association will take | place on Wednesday, Thursday, and FriI day next, at the Auckland Polo Club’s ' Ground, at Remuera. There will be teams competing from Cambridge, Ceredon, Waingaro, Remuera, and Auckland, I so that a first-class exhibition of polo ■ should be shown. Both the local clubs’ i representatives have been putting in some [very strong work, and the all-round im- ' provement shown makes it • ertain that I they will put up a big fight tor the cham- ] pionship. The visiting teams' are all first class exponents of the game, so that the various matches are bound to prove well ' worth witnessing, and I expect to see a . lot of people assemble at the convincing j ground next. week. There is one item : which always appeals to the Auckland ■ public, and that is the magic words I words “ admission free,” and with such lan attractive bill-of-fare there should be I no dearth of spectators.

The Christchurch Polo Club’s annual sports and' races were held on the New Zealand Metropolitan Trotting Club’s Ground on Saturday. There was a fine attendance, and the course was in capital condition. The two principal flat races were won by Mr A. E. G. Rhodes’ mare Rangitikei. She was ridden by Mr T. L. Cowlishaw, carried L3st 71b, and cut out the four furlongs in 54] sec, defeating the favourite Pauline as she liked, Missile finishing third.

In the Christchurch Polo Cup Rangitikei carried a few pounds over 15st, and covered three furlongs in 41 sec, winning comfortably from Duke of Wellington (12st 91b) and Pauline (13st 71b). For a pony to carry such an impost to victory stamps her as something quite out of the ordinary, or else the opposition was very moderate indeed.