CHAMPION PEDESTRIANISM AT CHRISTCHURCH.

Evening Star, Issue 3308, 26 September 1873, Page 3

CHAMPION PEDESTRIANISM AT CHRISTCHURCH.

HARRIS V, FOX. Considering the relative circumstances of the case, both Harris, who was trained by S. Collins, and Fox, who had the services of Young Austin, stripped in very good form. Harris having been idle so long, could not possibly be in the same hardy condition as his opponent, but he nevertheless did credit to his Mentor. Harris is very clean built, and has an immense stride, but a somewhat ugly style of carrying Ids arms. Fox, who is remarkably well built, and has a free bounding stride of great length for his size is, on the contrary, a very pretty runner. There was not a very large amount of betting, though several Dunedinites were very sweet on Fox. Some of these offered odds of three to one on their man for the first race, which was readily taken, but the true state of the betting for that event was level money, with Harris for choice. Harris was also the favorite in the hotting on the match as a whole. Fox received two yards start in the 100 yards spin, but, from his eagerness to get away, he fori cited this advantage and both started at scratch, thus making a really easy win for Harris. In the 150 yards event, Fox had four yards start, and, being more careful than before, he did not forfeit any portion of it. In this race he showed that he is remarkably smart 'in getting away, and that he can attain a wonderful rate of speed in the first thirty or forty yards. 'I o such an extent did he demonstrate this, that up to fifty yards he increased his lead on Harris, and made it appear for the moment as if the latter was going to be beaten with ease. Harris, howmade one of his dashing spurts iu the last fifty yards, and won a well contested race by a very short distance. The second victory, of course, decided the match, and the 200 yards race therefore did not come off, which it is needless to say was regretted, for a sprint between such men as these is unquestionably enjoyable. Match—loo yards Flat Pace. ,T. Gr, Harris ... ... ... ... ... 1

M. A. Fox (2 yards start) 2 Both men were eager to get away, and made a false start together. This was followed by Fox making two false starts in succession, and as the penalty expressed in the articles of agreement was “ to be put back one yard for each false start,” Fox lost the distance Harris had given him, and the two thus toed the scratch on equal terms. Fox, being more cautious, did not offend again, and when the pistol was fired the two sprung away at the same instant. Fox, settling down to his stride the smartest, showed about a foot in front after the first thirty

yards, but from that point Harris gained at every stride, and twenty yards from home had it all his own way, so much so, that he turned and smiled at his opponent. Ultimately, Harris won by about a yard. Time 10| secs. Match—lso yards Flat Race. J. G. Harris 1 M. A. Fox (4 yards start) 2

A splendid start was made, Fox smartest, being the first to sh*w in front, and by a splendid dash ho had increased his lead at sixty yards to quite six yards. Harris then began to close, but the gap seemed all too great for the distance he had to go, and it seemed to be Lombard street to a China orange against him. Fox looked over his shoulder twice when about two-thirds of the distance had been covered, and this ap parently threw him out of his stride. Forty yards from borne Harris was about two yards behind, and put on a really magnificent spurt. Fox then ran very groggy for some distance, appearing as if he would fall, but nearing the tape he pulled himself together a little and made another game effort, but to no purpose, for Harris beaded him and won by about eighteen inches. Had it not been for the spectators Fox would have fallen at the finish. Harris’s victory was greeted with loud cheers.

It may be stated that directly after the match Fox challenged Harris to run him over hurdles for L 25 or 1.50 aside, three distances, ranging up to half-a-mile, but Harris declined, on the ground that a quarter-of-a mile was his longest distance, and he had never challenged anyone beyond that, — Tivm,