SPORT AT HOME

Evening Star, Issue 11944, 21 July 1903, Page 8

SPORT AT HOME

[Fboh Oub Sfxcul Cobbesfowdmit.] LONDON, June 12. M. BLANC'S RECX)BD. In a general way I do not pretend to pay much attention to foreign racing in this" column, but I really must spare a little space to record the remarkable piece of good luck which fell to that popular French owner M. Blanc in the valuable Grand Prix de Paris for three-year-olds last Sunday. Ibis race is run over a mile and seven furlongs, and was worth this yea? £10,948, the second receiving £BOO and third £4OO cut of that amount. On Sunday last fourteen horses carried for this evefljt, M. Edmond Blanc running his Derby second, Vinicius, Quo Yadia, and Caius. The firstnamed was favorite at 3 to 1, Caius starting at 7 to 2 and Quo Vadis at 6 to 1. The owner, of course, bad made no declaration to win with any particular animal. Included in the field was Ex Voto, the winner of the French Derby, asa'nst which 7 to 1 was offered; Mr Vanderbilt's Alpha, a 15 to 1 chance, and John Bull, whose chance the Frenchmen valued at 60 to 1. From an excellent start Alpha and Vinicius got best away, closely followed by Caius. Then came Ex Voto and Quo Vadis, while the last pair were John Bull and Frisquet. So they ran for about half a mile, when Vinicius and Alpha resigned their places to Caius and Gradignan. Until about half a mile from home there was little further change. At this point Gradigna* was beaten, and Quo Vadis closed with Alpha and.Vjnicras, while at the distance Alpha was driven to the front, but soon gave way to Caius, Vinicius, and Quo Vadis. The last-named quickly got the better of his opponents, and won in easy style by threeparts of a length, two lengths dividing second and third, and, three lengths away, Alpha was placed fourth. Thus M. Blanc secured the whole of the

prize money at issue. Really this is being more lucky than it is permissible for any '* mortal man to be, even when, as in the case of M. Blanc, one is. the son of the original proprietor of the greatest gaming table in the world, where the odds are always in favor of the bank. To have won the Grand Prix five times, and then to win it for the sixth time, with horses of your own second and third, is more like Monte Cristo than even Monte Carlo, Such 'uck indeed seems uncanny. AT COTTONOPOLIS.

The Manchester Whitsuntide meeting »aw the Oaks winner, Mr J. B. Joel's Our Lassie, attempt to equal the record made in 1900 by La Roche, who captured both the "Fillies' Derby" and the Manchester Cup. This race, worth £3,122, and run over a mile and a-half, was decided last Friday, a field of eleven facing the barrier. Naturally, with but 7.8 up and a very moderate opposition, Mr Joel's filly found plenty of support, and before the start 13 to 8 was the best offer against her. Of the remainder, most money was entrusted to Cliftonhall (4 yrs, 7.2), Friar Tuck (4 yrs, 9.0), Lord Howard De Walden's Zinfaudel (Persimmon—Medora, 3 yrs, 6.12), and Rightful (4 yrs, 7.7), their prices ranging from 7 to 2 to 100 to 7, whilst such as Bachelor's Button (4 vts, 8.11), Monitress, and Valve were on offer at from 20 to 50 to 1. The race was full of interest, for after Friar Tuck and several of the outsiders had delayed the start by their antics, Our Lassie led out at a tremendous pace until steadied. Then Valve took a turn at pace-making. Little change in the order of going took place till the mile post was reached, but then the favorite was seen to be in difficulties, and Valve beat a retreat, leaving Cliftonhall to do pilot's work slightly ahead of Zinfaudel, Rightful, and Bachelor's Button. Just below the distance Zinfaudel challenged for the lead, and Cliftonhall responding, the pair raced away from the field. A battle royal ensued until the latter faltered a few yards from the winning post, and enabled Lord Howard De Walden's three-year-old to win by a short length. Bachelor's Button was third nearly a hundred yards behind, and the favorite filled fourth place in a pulline-up field. The time of the race was 2min 28§sec. Other events of some importance decided on the concluding day of the meeting were the six-furlong Salford Handicap, of £970, and the Whitsuntide Two-year-old Plate, of £BBB. For the former race a field of eleven sported silk, favoritism resting with Mr J. B. Joel's His Lordship (4 yrs, 7.12) at 15 to 8. Backers were very near the mark this time, for it was only after a tremendous fight from the distance that Mr Joel's horse succumbed by the shortest of short heads to Sir Ernest Cnssel's Speculator (Matchmaker—Miss Speculum)* to which His Lordship was conceding 91b. The winner was a 6 to 1 chance.

The Whitsuntide Plate brought out eipht youngsters, including Mr Steda.ll's Brocklesby winner Marsden (Orvietc—.Virtus), which, running at even weights with its competitors, was a very strong order, no less than 9 to 4 being laid on its chance at flag-fall. And this time the money nas well laid out, for Mareden slipped off with the lead, and, stalling off a simultaneous challenge by Wayfarer and the Rightaway colt very easily, won comfortably by a length from the former, which beat the rmnamed one a similar distance for second honors. u CRICKET. With plenty of real summer sunshine every day last week wa* one of scores such as might tempt wider-wicket advocates to reopen their case; but, seeing that the present week may be just as wet as the last was dry, it is perhaps just as well tq let things adjust themselves as the vagaries of the climate may allow. All things considered, it is a little surprising that the drawn games should have been comparatively few—viz., five—in sixteen first class engagements. In the championship competition thirty-six matches have now been played. Of these, twelve have been left unfinished and twenty-four brought to a definite conclusion. Last season nearly half of the county games had to be left drawn; so, despite a very bad Btart, the present, season promises to be better in this respect than that of 1902. Brighton has long been regarded as the run-getting ground of the kingdom, but it will have to look to its laurels, for on the perfect wicket prepared for the Notts and Surrev match at Trent Bridge in the early part of the week no fewer than 1,154 run? were mnde for the loss of only twenty-six wickets. Still, Briehton during the" same three days gave evidence that its turf is as trua and springy as ever, the twentv-four wickets taken in the Sussex and Gloucester match producing 1,073 runs. For rapidity and freedom of scoring, however, the match between Cambridge and Worcestershire on the Tars : ty ground easily takes first place. In the second half of the week only twenty-six wickets fell for 1.303 runs.

Two batsmen had the distinction of scoring 100, runs twice in the same match last week, P. Pen-in making 170 and 102 not" out at Trent Bridge in the Essex and NotU match, and that fine all-round player Arnold putting together 101 not ont and 128 for Worcestershire against Camhrdge University. Altogether the individual stores of 100 and upwards compiled during the past week were nineteen in number. Apart from the four totals just mentioned, the bst is as follows:

G. L. Jessop, 286, Gloucester v. Sussex. Ranjitsmhji, 162 not out, Sussex v. Gloucester.

J. Gunn. 161 not out, Notts ▼. Surrey.. WrathaD, 160, Gloucester v. London County. A. J. L. Hill, 150, Hants v. Derbv. W. G. Grace, 150, London County v. Gloucester.

Bowley, 149, Worcester t. Cambridge. Llewellyn, 148, Hants v. Derby. P. F. Warner, 135, Middlesex v. Somerset.

Knight, 131 not out, Leicester v. Surrey. Seymour, 127, Kent v. Lancashire. E. M. Dowson, 122 not out, Cambridge v. Worcester.

H. K. Foster, 119, Worcester v. Cambridge. T. H. Fowler, 114, Gloucester v. London County. W. Gunn, 112, Notts v. Surrey. On the whole, 'of course, 'the bowlers had a bad time, and the only two that can now claim single-figure averages are Hirst, whose eighty.overs have produced 183 runs and twenty-one wickets for an average of &57, and Hargreave (your recent visi- «**■> wt» am Saturday bad bowJtd 841 arm

for 443 runs and fbrtv-nine wickets, an' average of 9.42 per wicket. There was a general reshuffling of the tetros in the county championships during the week, the position at the end beingi interesting. Three handsome victories in as many engagements placed Middlesex inccntestably first, while Sussex, with three wins and three draws and no defeat, conies v orthily second. Notts and' Hants are still undefeated, but Hampshire has played only one game so 'ar. It is strange to see Lancashire and Yorkshire no higher than about the middle of the list, but for the sake of cricket • generally, and southern cricket in "articular, one hopes that Middlesex and 'lUssex, after beginning so well, will con!;nue to retain their form and at least give Yorkshire or Lancashire "a good run foi hampibn honors. One of the cricket surprises of the sea;on so far was the defeat of Glopcrte'rshire by London County at the Crystal Palace last Saturday. The Westerners piled up 397 runs in their first innings, i.nd London answered with 311, and 'in ordinary circumstances the match seemed destined to figure as a draw. But in their second venture, Jes*op being absent ill. the Gloucester batsmen fail"d miserably to cope with the bowling of Kermode and Hofketb-Prichnrd, and weTe all out for 61, London County being left with only 150 runs to get to win. This task they accomplish d for. the loss of three wickets. Antipodeans had not a little to do with the Londoners' victory. The New Zealander, D. Reese, eff cted a couple of smart catches in the Gloucester first innings, and contributed 5 and 27 to the London score; the veteran Australian, Murdoch, made one catch, and put 3 and 23, not out, to his team's credit, and L. 0. S. Poidevin scored 61 in his only effort with the bat. • BICYCLING. A splendid performance was accomplished on the cement track at the Crvstal Palace last Saturday by Leon MeTedith, of the Paddington C.C., in the annual 100 miles race for the possession of the Carvrardine Cup. There were four competitors in G. A. OUey (Anerley .CO., the winner of the trophy in 1901 and 1902), Leon Meredith (the fifty miles champion), F. T. Burgess (Paddington C.C.), and C. Cole (Polytechnic C.C.). Motor pacing was allowed, but the two last-named were practically without assistance, and Burgees soon withdrew from the contest. Olley raced away at the outset, and was leading from Meredith by half a mile. When he commenced to beat the record at twenty-six miles (time, 47min | Olley had lapped Meredith, once, and was just passing him a second time in the thirtysixth mile, when Meredith touched the pacing machine and came down, bringing Olley with him. Olley was badly cut, and compelled to retire from the contest Meredith was also bruised, but remounted, and beat the hour's record (33m 88yds) by covering 35ra l,2Coyds. In two hours Meredith rode 68m 1,450 yds (nearly six miles better than the previous beet), and ultimately completed the 100 miles in 2b 58min 12fsec* against his own previous best of 3h 16mm 30f sec. Meredith rode fifty miles in lh 25min 24fsec. Coles was twenty-three miles behind the ' winner, but he was very, badly served in the matter of pacing. It is not often that three of the fastest sprinters in the world are seen competing in a three-cornered match, but at the Bnffalo Velodrome, Paris, on Whit Monday, Australia's recent all-conquenng visitor, Major Taylor, Thorwald Ellegaard (holder of the world's sprint championship for two years in succession), and Harry Meyers ("the Flying Dutchman") met for three heavy purses. The first match was over 1,000 metres, Ellegaard winning from Meyers by a wheel, Taylor half a length behind Meyers. Time,, lmin 59£ sec. Great excitement prevailed when the three champions faced the starter, and it was arranged that should any accident occur before the last lap was reached a restart should be made. Meyers led to the bell, when Ellegaard went in front; the former then claiming the ba<k wheel, with Taylor, on the outside waiting for a chance to get behind Ellegaard which never came. The Dane put in a long sprint, and was never headed, although Meyers made a good effort to get up. Second match (500 metres) :~. Ellegaard beat Taylor by two inches, Meyers a wheel away; Time, 39sec. The negro meant having the inside position and the lead in the last lap, and he succeeded. Ellegaard tri d to jump to the front, but the negro held him, and the two struggled neck and neck to the tape, Ellegaard being declared the winner by two inches. Third match (1,900 metres): Meyers secured this bv a wheel from Ellegaard, Taylor a wheel away third: Time, lmin 37f sec. Meyers commenced sprinting a quarter of *a mile from home, and just after the bell rang the three riders were side by sidi\ and a grand race to the finish left the honors with the Hollander. Ellegaard (with 4 points) took the first prize, Meyers (with 6) the second, and Taylor (with 8) the third; but I fancy when he has had a little more time the Major will turn the tables on both the Continental cracks He had barely a week in which to get himself into shape to meet flyers who had been racing and training very strictly for a couple of months. .

On Friday last the Major engaged in another three-cornered match at Copenhagen against Ellegaard and Van den Born, the Belgian crack sprinter. The first event was over 1,050 metres, which fcllogaard covered in lmin 56sec, beating Taylor by a wheel. Van den Born being close up third. The second match was over a mile, and this was again jron by Ellegaard. Taylor was beaten by a quarter of a wheel, and Van den Bom by a wheel. In the back straight Taylor sprinted to the front, and got a shght lead, but the.Dane quickly overhauled the negro, winning as stated The third match, over 1,500 metres, ElJeeaard won somewhat easily in 2min ?. 1' 7l? de " Bo ™>'ng second, and Taylor last. The B Igian was the first to commence sprinting, but Ellegaard seemed to go to the front when he liked, while Taylor appeared to be unable to get going properly until too late.