SPORT IN BRITAIN

Evening Star, Issue 19763, 13 January 1928, Page 14

SPORT IN BRITAIN

[Feom Ooh English Correspondent.] LONDON, November 30. THE TURF. The flat-racing season of 1927 has shown again that racehorses of the present time are more evenly matched than in the. eighties. It is now quite the thing to find the classic honors shared by two or three animals, whilst in past days giants of the track, such as Ormonde and Sceptre, almost stood out alone. A popular sportsman in Lord Derby heads the list of winning owners with a great record. Horses carrying his colors won thirty-seven races, worth £40,355 in stakes. Lord Astor come next with ten wins, worth £29,976, this mount being mainly duo to Book Law. This three-year-old filly secured half a dozen races, worth £27,745, Colorado being the next highest winner with £17,725. P’or the first time in his career Frank Butters tops the list of winning trainers. This is his first season with the Stanley House stable, and he can well feel proud of loading all rivals with a record of fifty-four wins and stakes worth £57,463. He is followed by Alec Taylor, forty-seven wins, worth £55,196. As the Manton trainer is now retiring, many sportsmen would have been pleased had ho again headed the list, just for the sake of sentiment. Another name famous in Wiltshire holds a prominent place, Fred Darling being third with £34,519. The race among jockeys for the leadership would have been close had there been no Gordon Richards. Ho simply outdistanced his rivals, with the fine record of 164, T. Weston 78, and C. Elliott 77Jiemg next to him. There are some talented apprentices coming along nicely, G. Wragg, with thirtyeight wins, and J. Caldwell, with three less, being the most prominent. Bucan stands as the most successful sire of the season, his family having won thirtyeight races, worth £45,918, a big proportion of this total being duo to the ability of Book Law. This has been a trying year in turf circles, the opposition of layers to the betting tax and the discussion regarding the tote, having had a lot to do with this. Time will adjust the difficulty, and there is no reason to take a black view of the racing industry in England. RUGBY. What has been written in previous notes about the ability of the New South Wales Rugby men to play up to the requirements of the situation has been well illustrated in their two last engagements. It is no easy matter to defeat Wales when the Welshmen are playing at home, and the Australians had a stiff hurdle to clear at Cardiff last Saturday, yet they prevailed by 18 points to 8. Tho Welshmen should have made a closer fight of it on play, but mistakes when scores looked certain happened no two occasions. In the first spell two Welshmen had crossed the lino, but knocked on when about to register a try. Later in tho game another Jiorae player had the misfortune to stumble, when he had a certain try at his mercy. Thus 6 points at the least were lost through mistakes at a critical time and just when success seemed assured. Sometimes matters will not go right, and luck was against Wales at Cardiff. Tho Warafcahs held a commanding lead at half-time, but the Welshmen made a great rally in tho second half, and hut for the ill-luck referred to would have made it a near thing. Wales has a fine lot of forwards this year, but behind tho scrum the form is far from the best standard of Welsh football. The Australians had another stiff task on Tuesday, when visiting Llanelly. It was a great match, the homo team loading at tho interval by 8 points to G, and when tho Welshmen registered a try, which was converted, soon after tlie resumption, it looked as though the visitors were in danger of defeat. Soon after this Llanelly had a stroke of bad luck, the full-back being injured and forced to retire.

Although the rules of Rugby call for loams of equal numbers, this very important law was broken (as often happens), and the Welshmen had to struggle on under difficulties. As might bo expected, they could not overcome the handicap, so that the New South Wales men eventually won by 24 points to 14. They might have won in any case, though with a lead of 8 points when the accident happened Llanelly looked well placed. Lancashire brought off another surprise in the county championship tournament by beating Cheshire, 15 points to 12, and form in the North is decidedly mixed this season. SOCCER. Everton’s prospects of winning the first division championship look better as a result of Saturday’s games. The leaders had to visit Bury, a team playing good football this season. Thus the task was a difficult one, but_ it was well accomplished, Everton scoring the odd goal in five. Meanwhile Newcastle United failed at Leicester, where the home team scored three times without response. Cardiff City, winners of the F.A. Cup last season, brought off a good win when visiting Sheffield United the Welsh Club prevailing by 4 goals to 3. Another prominent club in Huddersfield was not so fortunate at Liverpool, where the home team registered 4 goals to 2 by the Yorkshire Club. These results leave Everton at the head of the table with 23 points for sixteen matches, Mewcastle now being 2 points behind. _ Chelsea has slipped back a trifle in the second division tournament. The leaders were at Port Vale on Saturday, and the form of the visitors was not convincing. Thanks to a good defence, the situation was saved, the leaders managing to make a draw of it, each scoring a goal. Manchester City made no mistake when at home to Stoke City, winning by 4 goals to 0, and the gain of a point on the leaders reduces Chelsea’s advantage to 4 points. Glasgow Rangers went further ahead in the Scottish League table on Saturday, thanks to a fine victory when visiting Clyde, the latter going down by 4 goals to 1. Motherwell could only draw, 1 goal each, when visiting Partick Thistle, and the Rangers now have a point lead and a game in hand. Celtic just gained the day when visiting Bo’ness, 1 goal to 0, and claim third place, two points behind Motherwell. —Wales Defeats England.— England had a fine team of individuals for the match against Wales at Burnley on Monday, but they did not blend. By general consent it is thought that one of the leading teams could beat the international side, and some other method of selection would seem necessary. The determined efforts of the Welshmen prevailed, and England went under by two goals to one. The English captain obliged with one of the Welsh goals, heading the ball past his own goalkeeper. Another calamity for England was the missing of a penalty goal, and, altogether, it was a black day for the home side. a BOXING. Phill Scott is proving another Billy Wells in the manner he pleases and disappoints in turn. His expression, “I am glad I did not let my countrymen down,” following his success against Monte Munn in his second American engagement, shows that his own particular glory _ is not his first consideration, which is a good trait. One of the most pleasing features of Scott’s success was the support lie' got from American sportsmen. If the cabled accounts are strictly correct, and there is no reason to think otherwise, the idea that a British victory is not popular in America is quite wrong.Bcott got some severe criticism for his

inglorious display against Lis Danish rival in his opening engagement in America, and it was well deserved. It probably did him good, and roused him to greater effort when ho met Munn. In accomplishing “ a man’s job,” as one American critic put it, by knocking out his bigger rival, Scott has put himself in line for other engagements, and in this he is fortunate. It would be an interesting situation should he meet and beat Johnny Risko. The latter lost to Heeney, but ho claims a win over Paolino Uczudun. Scott has twice gained a decision over Heeney, but was beaten by Uczudun, so the form is somewhat mixed ; and a meeting between Scott and Risko would “ clear the air.” Visitors to the National Sporting Club on Monday saw twenty rounds of hard slogging between Frank Moody, of Wales, and Ted Moore, of Plymouth. They are really middle-weights, but the contest was for the welter-weight Lonsdale Belt, which will now beat Moody’s name. The Welshman was the better boxer, and landed many more telling blows than his rival, and this gained him the decision. That ho failed to knock out his Devon rival was mainly due to the extraordinary toughness of the latter, who showed wonderful pluck. Moore was always trying for a knock-out, and right to the finish there was always a chance that he might turn the scale in his favor. The loser deserved the hearty cheers he got from the crowded house, the onlookers including the Prince of Wales. Another big contest in London this week saw Jack Hood, of Birmingham, defeat M. Tliil, of France, who was the middle-weight champion of the French army at one time. Hood was giving away weight, but was much the best man, and gained a points decision. BILLIARDS. Tom Newman, the professional billiard champion, is showing great form in a match against M. Inman, who is receiving 4,000 points in 16,000 up. The scratch man made a break of 816 near the halfway stage, and ho occupied the table during the whole of the evening session in an unfinished break, which carried his scoring peg nearly up to that of his rival. So well is Newman playing that the failure of the champion and Willie Smith to agree as to a match this season becomes particularly unfortunate. ATHLETICS. As foreshadowed last week, the British Olympic Council has now decided to send a team to the Olympic Games at Amsterdam next July. It is known that some of the great sporting bodies in England will not support the festival, notably the Amateur Rowing Association, and the Football Association. This is unfortunate, and hardly a sound policy. If the conditions at tho Olympic Games are not entirely satisfactory in every pastime, the best policy is for those who differ to strive to alter them. By simply dropping out the way is made easier for those who favor the policy which is not considered up to the best form of amateurism. Britain no longer rules the roost ” in sport, and Continental nations know this, and they are prepared to carry on without British oiipport if necessary. Thus simply “ dropping out ” is hardly the best way to meet the situation. Fortunately we shall have an athletic team at Amsterdam, and, whilst athletics continues to reign ns the chief feature of the games, matters will not bo much affected. All’s well, and now the bodies interested can go ahead /with plans to ensure the best possible tbams being sent to Amsterdam.