KING'S STEEPLES.

Auckland Star, Volume LIX, Issue 227, 25 September 1928, Page 15

KING'S STEEPLES.

BALL WINS IN THE RAIN.

R. BROWNE'S GREAT RUN,

OWX RECORD BETTERED

In pelting rain, A. L. Ball panted home first at the head of a field of one hundred ami sixty-five runners in the King's College annual six miles' steeplechase at Middlemore yesterday afternoon. A quarter of a minute behind him came R. Browne, the first of the scratch men, who scored fastest time, clipping nearly a minute off the course record, put up by him when he won the event last year. The course was the same as in previous years. The boys left the school and followed the roads for a couple of miles before taking to the country and traversing a stretch of rough ground— real steeplechase country. Once on the road again they headed for home, finishing up their long journey on the school playing field. The Start. There was a strong head wind but no rain when the limit runners—the competitors on the eight-minute mark— were sent away. Other groupe were dispatched at -half-minute intervals, and the white-singleted running figures were soon strung out along the road like a long white tape. When the scratch men, including all the senior cup competitors, were let away the limit boys were well out of sight and going hard. At the Papatoetoe end of Buckland's Road, about a mile and a-lialf from the start, Thome-George, Potts, Brown TV., and Gillies, all limit competitors, were showing the way in the order named. Browne I. was the first of the scratch men, some distance behind, Clarkson and Harkness beinjj the next of the backmarkers. Branching off from the road for thf run over country. Thorne-George was still the leader with Brown TV. next. Ball, who had started from the fourrr.inute mark, was running stronplv, and then came Black and Morton. Browne 1., who was well ahead of the next senior cup boy. was 20th. Coming out of the quarry and over the hill to the road again. Ball passed Thorne-George, who was still sticking gamelv to Tiis task. Brown TV. was third and then followed Black, Browne I. (who was gainin? on the leaders with everv stride and looked a certain winner). Faire. Clark. Shaw and Morton, who were only a little distance ahead of a bunch of a dozen strone Harkness and Clarkson were still toCTther. showing the wav to all the other scratch men with the exception of Browne I. Ball Sticks It Out. At Massey Road Ball had taken over the leadership while Browne I. had passed Thome-George, Brown IV. and Black. Shaw was third, followed bv Brown IV., Thorne-George and Faire. At this stage there was still a mile and a-half to go; and it looked likely that Browne I. would be the man to* breakup tape, but Ball, one of the juniors, kept pegging away consistently, and Browne found the distance too "far to make up. In a pelter of rain Ball finished almost as strong as Browne, who was fifty yards or so behind. Shaw jogged in in third place. The names, handicaps, and times of the first ten boys home were: Ball (4m) 38m 10s, 1; Browne I fecr), 34m 42e, 2; Shaw (3im), 39m 42e,' 3: Ford (3m), 40m 20s, 4; Faire, (6m) 43m 245, 5; Harkness H., (4m), 41m 10s,' 6; Makgill 11. (3*m), 41m 10s, 7; Hargrove 11. (2m), 39m 465, 8; Makgill I. 4lm 345, 9; Clarkeon (scr), 37m *vs2s, 10. Owing to a train passing over the Mangere crossing as the boys were leaving the school, a number of the runners, including the winner, were held «tin for 15 seconds, but this delay was taken into account in calculating the times. Browne, who registered easily the best time, ran a great race, .hetterin* his own record of 35m 38s by 56s