Sport in Australia.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume XIII, Issue 781, 23 February 1905, Page 11

Sport in Australia.

(By

“Atlas.”)

Sydney, February 13. Canterbury Park was the rendezvous ■for Sydney sporting men on Saturday, when the bookmavers had the best of the deal, for although two first favourites got home four other events on the card were won by outsiders. In the principal event, the Canterbury Handicap, one mile and a-quarter, there were six starters, Tatterdemalion, Bst 41b, being made favourite at 11 to 8, with Trenwith, 7st 10];b, at 4 to 1, and Red Flag, 6st 71b, at 9 to 2. After Gerardy, Bst lib, had made most of the running, Red Flag came on the scene and won by a length, Gerardy being second, and Tatterdemalion third. There was some bumping during the race, otherwise the favourite would have been nearer the front at the finish. The winner is a five-year-old mare by the defunct Lochiel. She got over the journey in 2min 12sec. Independence, who is a Newmarket Han- 1 dicap Handicap candidate, was made a hot favourite for the Suburban Handicap, at Sandown Park, on Saturday, but with Bst 111 b could get no nearer than third, Golden West, 7st 31b, winning by six lengths, the time for the six furlongs being imin I64sec. Independence, will, therefore, have to improve a lot to have a show in the big sprint event of the autumn. On Saturday he had the service of the crack jockey Lewis. Lamrock, who is being nibbled at for the Australian Cup, easily won the’Sandown Handicap, one mile, on Saturday, with Bst 31b up, in imin 45sec. There was a field of ten and Lamrock, who is by Yardley—Helen, was backed clown to 2 to 1. The stipendiary stewards intend to hold an inquiry into the bumping that occurred in the Canterbury Handicap on Saturday. Why they did not settle the matter promptly on the course seems strange. As a result of the bumping Insolence was knocked down, and the favourite, Tatterdemalion, was badly interfered with. Mr A. Gray is introducing a new starting machine, which he claims is a great improvement on his old invention. The machine will receive a trial at Roseberry Park this afternoon. The Gaiety Athletic Hall was packed on Saturday night to witness a boxing match between T. Green, Bst, and Webber, an American, who scaled Bst 51b. The match was keenly contested, and the American was leading up to the seventh round when Green got in a left hook in the chin and Webber was counted o u t. The first annual meeting of the Lawn Tennis Association of Australasia was held in Sydney on Wednesday night last, Messrs V. H. Baxter and A. E. D’Arcy representing New Zealand. A letter was read from the New Zealand Association agreeing to join. The following officers were elected for the ensuing year:—President, Mr W. H. Forest: vice-presidents, Messrs P. Wilding (N. 7. A. -J. Ro’-erts (S.A.), A. F. Chomley (Vic.), and Dr. Shaw (W.A.). The representatives of New South Wales, Tasmania, and Queensland have .vet to be elected. Mr T. H. Hicks was appointed hon. secretary, and Mr E. S. M‘Dermott hon. treasurer. It was decided to enter a team for the Davis cup, and this team will shortly be selected by a special meeting of the Council to be called for the purpose. The question of holding Australian championships was deferred to an adjourned meeting. It was decided to communicate with the Melbourne Cricket Club to ascertain what steps, if any, had been taken to invite am English team to visit. Australia. On the motion of Mr Fox it was agreed to write to the English Lawn Tennis Association asking if a match could be arranged for say six aside in England during the coming season. The mover said it was probable that Parker, Brookes, Doust, Poidevin, Wilding. Eaves, Dewhurst, and Rice would be in England during the season. There was nothing remarkable in First Grade cricket on Saturday. North Sydney is leading for the premiership with 12 points, Burwood being next with 10 points. Young Kieran, the lad from the Sobraon training, gave a wonderful exhibition of swimming on Saturday at the North Sydney Club’s Carnival, when he established a new world’s record for the 1000 yards. The race is thus describin the “Sunday Times”:—“The sensation of the afternoon was undoubtedly Australasian Champion Kieran’s successful effort in establishing new figures for the 1000 yards. Giving ' 'J. Craig 125 sec, D. Brown 105 sec, R. Craig 75sec, and C. Smith 75sec, Kieran saw the limit man swim 150yds before he left the board himself, while Brown was about 20yds behind, and R. Craig and Smith were just finishing the first 'hundred, but the doughty young champion, going through the water at a great rate, overhauled the field one after another, catching Smith in the 14th lap (R. Craig retired after 12

laps), and J. Craig in the 15th lap, but > Town finishing v<ry strongly led to the end, where he had 15 yards to the good. Keran’s time, supplied by Mr Kerr for each too yards, was imin 7sec, 2min 23 sec, Brnin 40sec, -Imin sec, 6min 16-| sec, 7min 35 2-ssec, Bmin lOniin 16sec, 11min 35 2-ssec, and 12min 52 2-5 sec. This beats the existing record for 1000 yards by 58 l-ssec.” At the Adelaide Cycling Carnival, on Saturday, the young Victorian rider Clarke, who won the last Austral Wheel Race, won a double, namely, the Rutt Handicap, one and a-half miles, with a start of 40 yards, and the Adelaide Wheel Race, two miles, with a start of 60 yards. Lawson and EHegaard starting from scratch, finished second and third in the last-named event. In the International Championship Half-mile Lawson won by a few inches from Rutt, with FHegaard close up third. The time for the halfmile was 59sec. Considerable interest is being evinc< d in the big motor contest from Sydney to IJelburne. It is not to ' e of the nature of the death riding contests that sooth the nerves of the inhabitants of the “Continong,” but is used by the promoters as an exhibition of the reliability coupled with the speed of the machine, the idea being to foster motoring in the Commonwealth by demonstrating to the public what the up-to-date automobile is capable of accomplishing. The mode of deciding the competition will be as follows:—The course is divided into five sections, viz.: First day, from Sydney to Goulburn, 129 miles; second day, from Goulburn to Gundagai, 121 miles; third day, from Gundagai to Albury, 121 miles; fourth day, from Albury to Euroa, 101 miles; fifth day, from Euroa to Melbourne, 100 miles. The aggregate riding times and average speeds are: —Heavy cars, 36hr 30m in, average speed, 15® miles per hour; light cars, 41 hr 30min, average speed. 13f miles per hour; motor cycles, 32hr 40min, average speed, 17-f miles per hour. The ride will start from the Sydney Town Hall between five and six o’clock on Tuesday morning, February 21, and will finish at the Melbourne Haymarket about 3 p.m. on Saturday, February 25. An important feature of the contest is that competitors must effect all necessary repairs and adjustments during riding time. A big entry of machines has been received from various parts of the Commonwealth. The estimated value of the machines entered is: Cars, £12,000; motor cycles, £BOO. The contest will probably cost the promoters £4OO, whilst the aggregate amount that will be spent by the competitors is estimated at £lOOO. Some 1700 gallons of motor spirit, weighing in case about 8 tons, will be required by the competitors, besides a large quantity of lubricating oil. Over eight thousand people paid for admission to the Melbourne Exhibition Bu bling < n Saturday night to wit-iss the wrestling match between Hackehlschmidt, the Russian Lion, and the two Indians, Gimga Brahm and ißlittan Singh. The Russian capsized his first opponent in half-a-minute, but took 9min to dispose of Buttan Singh. Playaway, the favourite for the Newmarket Handicap, is undergoing a sound preparation at Randwick, and so far is satisfying the stable connections.