GRUELING RACE AT THE DOMAIN

Sun (Auckland), Volume 1, Issue 99, 18 July 1927, Page 10

GRUELING RACE AT THE DOMAIN

SAVIDAN RUNS WELL SPRINT CHAMPION BEATEN The Auckland Amateur Athletic and Cycle Club held the ninth meeting of its winter series at the Outer Domain on Saturday. ELLIOT BAULKED The 75 yards’ handicap, which gave promise of being the most interesting event on the programme, was spoilt by some of the competitors in the first heat breaking. The pistol wouldn’t work to call the field back, and Elliott and others ran the whole length of the course. In the final, the starters got off in an irregular manner. Elliot was baulked by a click of the pistol, and consequently gave another yard to the fourteen yards of the limit man. The track was very heavy, and the Kirkwood brothers from the eightyard and eleven-yard marks respectively filled the first two places, with H. S. Roper a close third. HARD TWO MILES The steeplechase course was very soft, and the twelve who faced the starter found the going harder than usual, so much so in fact that three of them failed to finish. In giving a start of 135 seconds to the beginners. J. W. Savidan was set a hard task to overtake them. It meant that the leading man had almost completed the first of three and a-half rounds when Savidan started, but the New Zealand champion ran a great race, and eventually finished in second place. Adams ran strongly after the first lap, and at one time appeared a likely winner had not Boucher come on the scene. Henshall, too, with a smaller handicap than usual, hung on gamely and touched the tape in fifth place. He has run consistently well in every steeplechase this season. He and Adams are undoubtedly the most promising of the younger members of the club.

Cooper, starting eighteen seconds ahead of Savidan, was not prominent in the early part of the race, but he accelerated toward the end and followed Savidan to the tape to be beaten by about fifteen yards for second place. Kells, although overshadowed by Savidan, cracked on the pace toward the end in a remarkable manner, and ran in fourth. His performance was a decided improvement on last week’s attempt, and the ex-champion should soon be seen in top form again. SHIRLEY'S BID

The field events attracted large entries. The wet ground was against the scratch man, J. W. Shirley, who threw the discus 97ft., but was not placed. Men with big handicaps won both events, conditions not being ideal for good performances. The following are the results: 75 YARDS HANDICAP First Heat A. J. Elliot (scr) 1 T. A. Buckley (Syds) 2 J. W. Savidan (9yds) 3 Won by a foot, with inches between Buckley and Savidan. Eight started. Second Heat H. S. Roper (3Syds) 1 F. J. Kirkwood (11yds) 2 R. G. Kirkwood (Syds) 3 Seven started. Won by inches in 8 1-10 seconds. Final R. G. Kirkwood (Byds) .. .. 1 F. J. Kirkwood ((11yds) 2 H. S. Roper (3|yds) 3 F. J. Kirkwood and Savidan were leading at the half-way mark, followed closely by the others. R. G. Kirkwood eventually won by inches from his brother, with Roper third and Elliot and Buckley a dead head fourth. Time, 8 l-10sec. STEEPLECHASE About 2J miles F. J. Boucher (90sec), 16min 13 3-ssec 1 J. W. Savidan (scr), 16min 22 2-ssec 2 N. ¥’. Cooper (18sec), 16min 27 2-ssec 3 G. Kells (Bsec), 16min 35 l-ssec .... 4 E. P. Henshall (40sec.), 16min. 41 l-5s 5 Boucher won by twenty-five yards from Savidan, with Cooper fifteen yards away third and Kells a like distance fourth. PUTTING THE SHOT G. Gilchrist (6ft), 30ft llin l R. G. Kirkwood (Bft 3in), 30ft B£in .. 2 J. C. Tipping (sft 6in), 30ft Bin 3 THROWING THE DISCUS R. G. Kirkwood (44ft), 101 ft lin .... 1 G. R. Metcalfe (3Sft), 97ft lOin .. .. 2 A. J. Elliot (32ft), 97ft Bin 3 MECHANICAL COURSING POPULAR IN AUSTRALIA By Cable.—Press Association.—Copyright SYDNEY, Sunday. The sport of mechanical coursing continues to increase in popularity. Over 30,000 people attended a meeting at Epping racecourse last evening, and 155 bookmakers were present laying the odds.—A. and N.Z.