THE second amateur handicap of the season played at the Post-office Hotel, Market-street, Manchester, was commenced on Monday, the 3rd inst., and continued nightly during the week. Like the previous one, the present was promoted by Mr. W. Melding, whose abilities as a handicapper have long been acknowledged, and who on the present occasion, as he has annually done for some years past, offered handsome prizes for competition, the first being of the value of £55, and the second of £10. The acceptances numbered thirty, and they played in heats of 200 up. Amongst the most fancied was C. Moss, a younger brother of W. Moss, the professional.
He won the first prize (value 30) of the last handicap, owing 10 points, and for his success was penalised 25 points. The play throughout, although not of a character to be minutely described, has been very interesting, the competitors in several of the heats finishing on very close terms, and each evening the room, which is rather small in its dimensions, was well filled. We append a return:
T. Ashton, owed 20 points, beat A. Attenbury, sen., received 80, by 16; J. Johnson, 110, beat T. Barlow, 37, by 47; C. Moss, owed 35, beat J. Wilson, received 120; J. Carmichael, 100, beat J. Bradshaw, 78, after an exciting game, by 7 points; W. Cross, 60, beat J. Ward, 95, by 25; R. Jennings, 40, beat W. Wood, scratch, by 14 points; H. Jackson, 12, beat T. Ashworth, 58, by 46; €. Walker, 93, beat A. Attenbury, jun., 83, by 55; J. Hutchinson, owed 15, beat A. Bake, received 100, by 24; C. Coleman, 70, beat W. Conn, 73, by 38: D. Phillips, owed 5, beat J. Gorman, received 55, by 4; G. Martin, scratch, beat W. Hurst, scratch, by 15; J. Ricketts, 73, beat A. Finn, 105, by 3; W. Smith, 15, beat E. Pearce, owed 10, by 8; and R. Ashton, received 40, beat J. Warren, 83, by 1 only.
G. Martin beat R. Ashton by 17; Jackson beat Carmichael by 2; Ricketts beat Hutchinson by 31; Cross beat Coleman by 28; Moss beat T. Ashton by 64; Smith beat Jennings by 10; and Johnson beat Walker by 14; Phillips odd man.
Ricketts beat Martin by 35; Cross beat Jackson by 58; Smith beat Johnson by 52. Moss had a bye, as Phillips was absent.
Ricketts beat Cross by 28, and Moss beat Smith by 32.
At starting odds of 2 to 1 were laid on Moss, but Ricketts got well away, and was well in his second century before Moss had entered his first. By a well played break of 37, Moss reached 70 to Ricketts's 133, and adding 25, 15, 11, and 22, took the lead, the score standing—Moss 173, Ricketts 155. Any odds were now offered on Moss, but he failed to make any stand afterwards, and Ricketts gradually crept up, and passing, won an exciting game by 4 points.
The above handicap seems to have led among the amateurs, as among the professionals in Cook's handicap in London, to several matches. C. Moss and E. Pearce play for £100 a-side, the match being arranged to take place last evening at Manchester. Martin and Hutchinson also play at the Waste Dealers' Exchange, Manchester, for a like sum on Monday next.