OUT DOOR SPORTS.

Observer, Volume 5, Issue 124, 27 January 1883, Page 317

OUT DOOR SPORTS.

NOTICES. Secretaries of all kinds of Cluhs for the promotion of out-door sports ivill confer a favour by communicating any items of interest connected icitli their sport, game, or pastime ; more especially with respect to coming Short sTcetcltes of sporting or pleasure excursions will be welcome, and, questions on all matters connected with sports loill be gladly answered. All communications must he addressed to The 1 Editor. * — The Wairoa Cricketers mostly left for the aNTorth on Saturday morning. _ — The Sybil was on Clare's slip this week getting ready for the Eegatta. Pairs means to beat the Truant this journey. — The flagship will be crowded on Monday, no doubt, and the Eegatta Committee may depend on it, the public won't desert them entirely, spite of the great counter attractions. — Dad Sims, from whom much was expected on Saturday last in the cricket match, North Shore First Eleven t. 18 Colfcs, made a very poor show, being clean bowled the second ball for a duck's egg, and his lip fell very low when ho was not asked to bowl. — The Auckland Eegatta of 1883 bids more than fair to eclipse anything of its kind ever held in our beautiful harbour. The Committee have been successful in fixing a programme whioh will suit all classes of boats and men, and I expect next Monday to be a red-letter day in the history of regattas in Auckland. — The following will ' man Alf . Warbrick's whale boat on Monday : — McDonald, Scott, G-. Moore, T. O'Connor, and another whose name has slipped my memory, while Ted Moore will steer her. I hear we shall have boats from Whangaroa and Russell to compete against her. — The Minx will make a great fight for the under 6 ton yacht race. She has had a thorough overhaul and novr carries entire lead ballast. She has had a new spruce fir topmast put into her and looks as trim as possible. She would have won the K. S. Eegatta bar her accident ; and will go " as near as don't matter " to this one. — On Saturday afternoon the Domain, besides being crowded with cricketers, was also the scene of a good many training spins by pedestrains who are preparing for the sports on the 291h. amongst those who trotted out were O'Hare, Mettam, Lecky, Goodman, Monnock, Harper and others. — The entries received for the' Eight Hours Demonstration Sports on Saturday nighfc last were the largest ever received in Auckland for open sports like these. All the known performers entered, and good sport may be anticip&tod for Monday next. The handicaps have been carefully adjusted, and the finishes are sure to be close. • — A very amusing charicafcure of an obstacle race, such as is to be contested on Monday in the Domain, was on exhibition in the window of Mr Mackie, the tobacconist, during the week. The struggles of the various types of pedestrians in their frantic efforts to surmount the obstacles were faithfully delineated, and the picture attracted crowds of people to the window. — I am very glad to be able to chronicle the manly action taken by the committee of the Auckland Eegatta Club, in refusing to accept any donation from the X". S. Ferry Co. after the shabby treatment receivedyby the Club, and the impudent alternative proposed by the Company. That Ferry Co. has goo to have a healthy opposition before long, and by their disgraceful meanness and general disregard of public convenience, they are hastening thek" own downfall. — Our Boys.. commenced their return match with the United Club on Saturday. At call of time United had 118 all out, and Our Boys three •wickets down for 34 runs. The United score was a peculiar one : They had 7 wickets down for 43, and then McKinney commenced slogging all rounds and soon ran up 50 runs, while Buckle, his vis a vis, and last man, was making 14. The match Avill be continued next Saturday. Mills shov. Ed splendid form with the ball, and got some good United wickets at a small cost. — I am credibly informed that the new rule of the Eegatta Club, tLat all sailing vessels must have a large black number affixed to the main-, sail to denote the race she is competing in, is to l be ignored in the case of the big yachts, owing to a protest entered by Mr Street, owner of the Muritai, who oonsiders that it will spoil the look of the sail and lower the yachts to the level of licensed fishing boats. Now I myself consider the rule utterly unnecessary, as anyone who takes any interest in yachting would be able to easily recognise the different craft. But at the same time, I must protest against any such class distinction as is involved in this exception to the rules. The club decides that it shall be so, and why make invidious exceptions by permitting one class of yachts to be exempted from carrying it out. What is sauce for the goose is sauce for the "gander, and if I were a yacht or boat owner, and saw rule disregarded by these " big guns " I would at once remove the number from my sail also, and contest any plea for my disqualification that might arise from such action, on the ground of a precedent, and I opine my premises would be about correct. — There is gradually creeping into stronger life in Auckland a system . which I had hoped would never get a footing amongst our pedestrains. I allude to what is known in England as the " Gaffer System." A fellow who has in his own . time run in a few handicaps with little or no snecese, finds it is not a paying game and leaves the track, looks out for some promising runner, gets "chumming" with him, and proceeds to "work "him. On the strength of his "great experience " he is installed as trainer, a position lie is too often less fit for than the man he undertakes to get "fit." Well, he starts to put his unfortunate victim through^, the mill, and, as it don't hurt himself, probably (in nine cases out of ten he gives .him too muoja work and places him on the mark thoroughly^ over-done, when (unless

it happens that his opponent is even more " stale ") he gets a doing at the hands of a man, whom, were he properly trained, he could give a start to. But that bad state of affairs, caused by the gross ignorance of a fellow who sets up as a mdntor in training, is not the worst feature of the system ; it is when a man's constitution defies the kind ' efforts of his would be trainer and he does | come out fit and wins a good stake, that the ( abuse assumes a phase which more particularly arouses one's indignation. The man who does all ■ the hard work, and by whose ability the money is won, rarely pays expenses ; while his " gaffer " and his satellites make a good warm thing out of it. I remember hearing an offer from a brokendown runner to a young colt, to take. him in hand on condition that he received two-thirds of all 1 winnings, and a guarantee besides of so much if he failed. I would strongly advise our young athletes to keep to themselves, and keep their ; hard-earned money in their own pockets. At Home this " gaffer " system is carried to such a , pass that a ped. can hardly call his legs his own, but must run where and when he is told to. I , don't want to see this carried- out in Auckland, and I trust my young friends will sec to it and profit by my remarks. ; — The following are the handicapa for the Sports in the Domain on Monday next, in connection with the Eight Hours' Demonstration : — 200 yds. Handicap (married men, no previous 1 record). — Porter, scratch; Preston, scratch; McManus, scratch ; O'Brien, syds ; Budge, 9yds; Harvey, 10yds. . 200 yds Handicap (members over 40 years). — Finlay, scratch ; Preston, 2yds ; Mell, syds ; P. Finlay, 6yds ; Cambie, 9yds. , Two-mile Handicap Walk. —H. Huekstep, scratch ; J. Hendry, 60yds ; A. Hendry, 80yds ; ; D.Stewart, 100 yds; W. L. Walsh, 110 yd s; S. Goodman, 170 yds. L One Mile Running Handicap.-— H. Huekstep, scratch ; A. Daly, 70yds ; S. Goodman, 90yds ; D. Mclnlay, 110 yd s; G. Cutler, 110 yds • J. Leckic, 110 yds ; H. Jenkins, 115 yds ; J. Cosson, , 125 yds; A." Harper, 130 yds; M. Breon, 110 yds. 150 yds Members' Handicap.— E. Whiteside, i scratch ; E. O'Hare, 2yds ; E. Underwood, 3yds ; i S. Mclnlay, syds ; J\ Coleman, 6yds ; ±\ McCarthy, Byds ; "A. Warbricic, Gyds ; 11. Robinson, , 10yds ; F. Bow, 10yds. : 200 yds Hurdlo Fiindicap — J. Cummins, scratch ; , E. Whiteside, Byds ; E. O'Hare, 10yds ; J. Coleman, 15yds ; S. Mclnlay, 13yds. i-Milc Handicap. — Mettam, scratch; Ivitts, 1 do.; Monnock, do.; Huekstep, Gyds ; Whitesidc. Byds ; O'Hare, 13yds ; Underwood, 13yds : ! i Jenkins, 13yds ; Coleman, 17yds ; Harper, ; 18yds ; WaVbrick, 20yds ; J. Hendry, 20yds ; ■ F. Bow, 20yds ; D. McCarthy, 22vds ; Rout, 25yds ; Millei/fc, 35yds. Demonstration Handicap. — Ist stage (100 yds) .- • J. Pickering, scratch ; J. Kilts, lyd ; J. Cum- ■ mms, 4yds ; W. Mettan:', Gi-yrls : *M. Monnock, 7yds ; O'Hare, Byds ; Underwood, 8-J-yds ; 11. , Donald, 9yds ; j". Coleman, 10yds ; Warbrick, 10yds ; Orr, 12yds. 2nd stage (220 yds) : Piekcr- ■ ing, scratch ; Ivitts, 3yds ; Cuininins, B.Vy:ls : . Mettam, 13yds ; Monnock, 13yds ; O'llaro, 15yds ; Underwood, 15yds ; Donald, lSvds : , Coleman, 19yds ; Warbrick, 20yds ; Orr, 25yds. . 3rd stage (440 yds) : J. Pickering, scratch ; Ivitts, syds ; Cummins, 14yds ; Mett.im, 17yds ; Monnock, 17yds ; Underwood, 20yds ; O'Hare, 23yds; , Donald. 24yds ; Coleman, ' 26yds ; Warbrick, ■ 26yds ; Orr, 35yd.?. . Boys under 16 (120yds).— Donald, scratch > , Purdie, syds ; Rowe, 3yds ; J. Reid, 3yds ; Coleman, 10yds ; R. Reid', 6yds ; iNewdick, 4yds ; . E. McCrects, syds ; Millett, 6vds ; Lewis, syds • W. Welsh, 9yds. Two-mile Bicycle Race Handicap. — J. Fitten, scratch ; W. Johnson, do.; G. Thwaitcs, 90yds ; R. Flewellyn, 60yds ;• W. M. Service, lOOvds ; 0. ■ Garrctt, 130 yds ; R. Service, 180 yds ; C.Bottrell, 200 yds. i E. Gough and E. K R. Forder arc the liandicappers.