TWO FINE WINS

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 319, 2 April 1928, Page 7

TWO FINE WINS

HUDSON AND PHIL O’SHEA EVENTS AT THE DOMAIN A LL the events of the athletic meeting at the Domain were chockful of that keenness so common to big cash meetings. There were a few spills in the wheel races, but the only serious fall occurred early in the afternoon in the first heat of the half-mile handicap, when J. H. Harcourt, the Auckland champion, crashed by tipipng a wheel and broke a collarbone. Harry Hudson did not appear to have a deal of trouble in romping home in the big flat race of the day, the 120yds gift handicap. In the 220yds handicap, however, he ran with great ease, and although managing a second place in the heat failed to get up in the final. Toms and Watson, two other crack athletes who competed, were not at all prominent, owing no doubt to the fact that the track was much faster than they r have been used to in the country districts. A good deal of the excitement in the shorter cycling events was marred by unsatisfactory handicaps, the scratch men being set an almost impossible task to catch the field. It was evident that the crack wheelmen, Phil O’Shea and Jack Henderson, found the track too slow after the asphalt at English Park, Christchurch, to make any show at all in the half and one mile events.. In the longer distances, however, things wrere very much different, and the three backmarkers, O’Shea, Henderson and Hayes, gave a fine exhibition of pace riding. The features of the meeting were the thrills and excitement produced in the three-mile cycle open handicap. O’Shea and Henderson were both on scratch, but it did not take them long to reach Slater Hayes riding off 80 yards. The trio kept together throughout, and treated the fans to some clever racing, each man going up in turn to take his lap with much ease and neatness. Coming into the home straight, with the limit men behind, Hayes had the lead from O’Shea, with Henderson following very closely. Amidst loud cheers from all parts of the ground the two champions raced along neck and neck; but 50 yards from the post O’Shea came away like a flash and won by about two lengths, with Henderson a good third. TJie Christchurch champion was taken charge of by the crowd, and carried shoulder high into the dressing shed. Results; Half-Mile Cycle Open Handicap.--First heat: F. Lowndes (80yds), 1; D. Storey (55yds), 2. Time, 1.10 3-5. Second heat: W. Francis (80yds), 1; S. Hayes (2oyds), 2. Time, 1.7. Third heat: J. V. Gove (40yds), 1; P. Rickman (90yds), 2. Time, 3 6 4-5. Fourth heat: R. Pelham (90yds), 1; W. Archer (100yds), 2. Time, 1.5 3-5. Final: P. Rickman (90yds), 1; W. Archer (100yds), 2; R. Pelham (90yds), 3. Time, 1.5 1-5. 120Yds. Auckland Gift Handicap.— First heat: G. Maloney (11yds), 1; R. McNamara (B£yds), 2; G. Batty (10yds), 3 Time, 12s. Second heat: H. Hudson (9yds), 1; H. Crook (14yds), 2; D. Molesworth (7yds), 3. Time, 12s. Third heat: C. H. Kellett (14yds), 1; A. Watson <7£yds), 2; S. Ball (10£yds), 3. Time, 11 4-ss. Final: H. Hudson (9yds), 1: R. McNamara (85yds), 2; G. Batty (10 yds), 3. Time, 12s. Boys’ Scooter Race.—G. Bryen, 1: H. Simms, 2. One Mile Cycle Open Handicap.—First heat: N. Healey (120yds), 1; Jim Henderson (130yds), 2; K. Rae (110yds), 3. Time, 2.22 2-5. Second heat: W. Francis (150yds), 3: W. Archer (100yds), 2; R. Pelham (180yds), 3. Time, 2.23 1-5. Third heat: P. Rickman (180yds), 1; W. Hills (150yds), 2; G. George (120yds), 3. Time, 2.22 1-5. Final: W. Francis, 1; K. Rae, 2; P. Rickman, 3. Time, 2.2 1-5. 220Yda Open Handicap.—First heat: Crook (28yds), 1; H. Hudson (20yds), 2; Carran (27yds), 3. Time, 21 l-ss. Second heat: Batty (23yds), 1; Kellett (26yds), 2; Maloney (20yds), 3. Time, 21 2-ss. Final: Crook (28yds), 1; Maloney (20yds), 2; Carran (27yds), 3. Time, 21s. 440 Y ds. Open Handicap.—R. McNamara (35yds), 1; J. C. Porter (48yds), 2: G. Allen (50yds), 3. Time, 48 4-ss. A hard struggle in the straight, but the winner broke away to win easily. 75Yds Old Timers’ Race.—Shirtcliffe, 1; Brain, 2; Weston, 3. Time, 9s. Two Mile Auckland Wheel Race. —First heat: N. Healey (200yds), 1; P. O’Shea (scr), 2; H. Lawler (160yds), 3; F. Lowndes (250yds), 4. Time, 5.7 2-5. There were eight starters, Healey winning by 20 yards with O’Shea well ahead of the rest of the field. Second heat: S. Hayes (65yds), 1; K. Rae (180yds), 2; Jim Henderson (180yds), 3; W. Francis (210yds), 4 Time, 5.2 2-5. Won by five yards, a good finish. Final: O’Shea, 1: Hayes, 2; Healey, 3. Time, 4.56 2-5. A great race, which O’S’hea won by three yards.