Sporting Sprints.

Maoriland Worker, Volume 2, Issue 27, 8 September 1911, Page 15

Sporting Sprints.

O. Miley won the "national" woodchopping' championship of Queensland at the recent meeting.

Tho Australasian A. A. championships will be decided in Wellington on Dec. 26 and 27, not on Jan. 1 and 2, as was previously announced.

Hoi way and Donaldson meet in Sydney on September 23 to decide tho much-debated question of which is tho fleetest. Matches between Holway and Postlo and Postle and Donaldson are to follow.

A new American three-miles record lias been set up'by Gr. Bonhag, of the Irish-American A.C., who cut down the 14min. 39sec. made by W. Day at Bergen Point, Bay 30, iB9O, to 14min. 32 sees. Thatj however, is a long way .of the world's best, ; done by A. S'hrubb on May 21, 1903 —14rain. 17 3-5 sees.

A world's record in cycling has been established at Rome by Parent, of France, who covered 100 kilometres (62|- miles) in Ihr 25min. lsec.

The yell of the indignant countryclub member is still being heard at the finding of the Racing Commission. Parliamentarians are taking a hand in the matter, hoping' thereby to preserve thepresent country race meetings intact.

« * m In. the West Indies, nearly all the racehorse owners are cither solicitors or barristers.

Radium aaid Lady Morton tied for the high jump at- the Brisbane show, jumping 6ft. 9in., which is equal to the Queensland record established in 1897 by Spooidulix.

* ■ * * A week or two back N.S.W. and Queensland fought their 87th Rugby tussle. The affair took place at University Oval, Sydney, before 8000 people. N.S.W. proved victorious to the tune of 26 to 6.

-X- * ■• :. -If In. a match in England a fast ball from Robsoii bowled P. F. Warner and carried on.c bail over 30 yards.

J. W. Hea.rn-e is regardod by many critics as the most promising cricketer brought to light in England for the last ten years. His recent batting performances are such that his place in all big events is assured. * * *

J. T. Hearn© has established another world's record. Playing for Middlesex against Yorkshire* he took his 2744 th wicket in first-class cricket, beating W. G. Grace's 2748 wickets.

Advices received in Australia are t<? the effect that Bob Fitzsiitimons waa badly injured in a motor accident at Bavaria, New York.

W. W. Naughton, the well-known writer on pugs., says that all the great natural fighters have, been niggers. He instances Waleott, Gans, Johnson and Langford in support of his contention.

The coming contest between Wolgast and Packy McEarland at catch weights is one of the most-talked-of affairs in pugdom at the present time. It is predicted in some quarters that it will be the best battle for years, with the chances favouring the redoubtable Packy.

A pape,r*in. Southern China says that Pietri, England's best two-year-old last season, and therefore a favourite for the Derby, has got a "touch of the wind."

What a disastrous game steeplechasing is may he seen from the record of the Australian Steeplechase, in which five of Saturday's 11 starters fell (says the. "Bulletin"). The distance was increased to four miles in '87, when Blue Mountain won, and only one fell. That was the most sure-footed field. In tho 24 years since then there have been 331 starters altogether, of whom but 175 finished —just above half. In Busaco's year (1891) but seven out of 18 starters got homo; in. Airly's ('O4) the same number; last year only three finished oxit of 15 that began. But the most awful cropper was in '97, when, only Britomarte and Zourofr" covered the course safely out of 11 that tackled it, though Montrose and Cerberus picked themselves up and struggled into third and fourth places. As for the jockeys., the hospitals and coixmers know what happened to them.