SPORT IN BRITAIN

Evening Star, Issue 20167, 6 May 1929, Page 4

SPORT IN BRITAIN

[t'KOM OuR-EkOUSB CoKKESPONWENT.] LONDON, March 27. THE TURK. The start of tho 1929 racing season will not bo easily forgotten by punters. That both the Lincoln and Grand National should bo won by rank outsiders, quoted at 100 to 1 in tho betting, is indeed out of tho common. The uncertainties of racing are often illustrated in the Grand National, that wonderful steeplechase in which it is about even money against any particular animal getting the course without mishap. This year’s race was a record, sixty-six candidates fining uv> lor the trying journey of four miles fw.tncU', with its many and big pimps. Practically every judge of racing looked for many mishaps, yet there I were no very bad smashes, and ten j finished, a much higher number than | usual. Because of this, we arc* tola that there will be no alteration in the conditions next year, but it is to he i hoped second thoughts will prove best. 1 Something ought to bo done to keep tho field down, and the race would gain in value if it were turned into a ; championship or classic. This would i best bo done by altering the conditions j so that ail the entrants carried the j same weight, whilst it might also be advisable to confine the race to ’chasers over six years of age, and which have been placed in a steeplechase of a greater value than £3OO and distance three miles and upwards. It will be recognised that such conditions would constitute a championship race, and make the National to the cross-coun-try game what the Derby is to the fiat. Some critics may be inclined to think the conditions might result in one horse winning several times, it the animal lutppened to be an outstanding performer. This is unlikely, for, as already suggested, it is practically even money against any horse getting tho course without mishap. Paster Hero, the favourite, almost emulated Cloister, Manifesto, and the other few winners which have scored under 12st 71b, lop weight. Soon in , front, tho favourite showed the way until nearing tho final jump, when Gregalach came up to assume the lead and win by six lengths in Uniin 47 2-ssee, which is very near record time. Had Easter Hero been cased when nicely clear and more effort made to “ wait in front,” he might have stayed home, but the big weight told at the fimsh. The winner, being but seven years of age, may gain further triumphs, ami Mrs M, A. Gemmell made a lucky investment when she paid £5,000 for the gelding, it is rather out of the common that the Lincoln and National winners both started at 100 to 1 and both belong to lady owners. THE BOAT RACE. East Saturday’s boat race between Oxford and Cambridge was more than usually interesting, it being just one hundred years since the struggle started. The war and oilier causes prevented a regular sequence, and actually tho latest race was the eighty-first between tho rival-;. The success of Cambridge enabled that university to draw' level with their opponents, each now claiming forty wins, with one dead heat. Cambridge won easily, and this year’s crew is certainly a fine one. The men rowed a long and smooth stroke, and wore by no means distressed at the end, although the time of 19min 24sec was fast for Putney to Mortlake course, which is over four miles. The losers were never in it after the first few strokes, but it can be said in excuse for the distressed condition of the oarsmen at the finish that two of them were not really well enough to row. Indeed, P. D. Barr, tho how oarsman, collapsed at the end and it was found he was suffering from influenza Later in the day another big event was decided, this being a race from Mortlake to Putney, for tho bead of theriver. The London B.C. “eight” again won. and Thames R.C. was second, as last time, onlv Iscc separating the boats in 19min 21sec. Three Cambridge College crews came next, which shows how flourishing rowing is at this university. RUGBY COUNTY CHAMPIONSHIP. In the replay in the Rugby county championship between Lancashire and Middlesex was decided at Waterloo, and provided a very close game. A placed goal and a dropped goal (9 points) to a placed goal and a penalty goal decided the issue, Middlesex winning by the narrow margin of a single joint. The forwards wore well matched, hut tho Middlesex backs were better than the opposition, and deserved tho win. Thus W. W Wakefield gained his ambition to load a county team to victory, which was about the only honour in the liugoy world he lacked until last Saturday. Tho Scottish Cup championship has again gone to Heriots (L.Pj, the victory over Stewart’s College ensuring this. Heriots also won in .1920, 1923, and 1925. SOCCER. Portsmouth brought oil a great sur - j.-risc at Highbury on Saturday by Heating Aston Villa in the semi-tins) oh tin; ,K.A. Cup. Probably 90 per cent, of tin; .'IO,OOO people present expected to see Villa win, but the Birm Ingham club's men had an oil day, and could not get going. Probably tho dash and unorthodox methods of the Portsmouth players had something to do with this, and the only goal of the opening half was from a penalty kick to Portsmouth. This success did Portsmouth good, and during the second half the players representing the Hampshire club showed to better advantage, and came near scoring on two or three occasions. Although Huddersfield led Bolton by a goal when this IGA. Cup semifinal was more than hall over, the Lancashire club recovered and ultimately triumphed by 3 goals to 1, The match was played at Liverpool, and drew a great crowd, the struggle being a thrilling one, particularly after the Bolton men had settled down. This is the third time Bolton has reached the final of the cup since the war, and most authorities now think the trophy will again go to Lancashire. [Bolton ! won the final.] ATHLETICS. Cambridge athletes excelled themselves at the sports on Saturday afternoon, and altogether the clay was a big one foi the Light Blues. The sports were staged at Stamford Bridge, a pleasing change from Queen’s Club, where the meeting has been held for many yars. As about 20,000 people attended the festival, the new venue appearer to bo appreciated. The day w r as perfect, and more like June than March, so that better running was jxissible. Many famous athletes have gone down from Oxford and Cambridge durthe past few- years, and it will be a task to develon stars to take the place of Doughs Lowe, John Rinkell. Lord Burghley. and Weiglitinnn-Smitli. The material is the., , however, and it can now he hoped that some of the young athletes who performed \fa Saturday

will be worthy representatives of Britain at the nest Olympic Games. Before then they will have the chance of showing their pace against the cracks at Yale, Harvard, Cornel!, and Princeton, as they will oppose these United States universities early in the summer, and also meet a Canadian team when on the other side of the Atlantic. There were a few surprises, and in the end victory went to Cambridge by seven events to four. It may bo that England has found a future champion sprinter in G. Wilkinson; an ex-pulrlic schools champio i, who beat B M. Norton, an old Yale rithlete, and H. V. Warren, from the university of British Columbia (both representing Oxford) by a good yard in 10 ]-ssec. He is a well-built man, and there seems no reason why he should not make good improvement. ' Even a bigger surprise was the defeat of Leigh-Wood of Oxford, by F. W. Tchitcherin in the “quarter,” the old Brighten School boy winning on the post in 5C 2-ssec. Wood is capable of beating oOsea, and he failed to show his true running. In R. M. N. Tisdall, who is a freshman from Shrewsbury, it seems likely Cambridge has a real good successor to Lord Burghley over the low hurdles. He won “ anyhow ” in 2d 2-usec, and will certainly do better. If he can stay tl>» ‘ quarter” he will be a worthy man fo* the Olympic Games 400 metres-hurdles. Three men beat -Imin 23scc in the mile, which is very pleasing when the athletes are young, and therefore likely to improve. C, E. G. Green, who won the race for Cambridge last year, showed tine judgment, and came through at the end to score in 4min 22 l-ssee, H. S. Townend, of Oxford, a public schools champion last year, and E- F. Franklin, of Cambridge, being within 3yds. With ordinary improvement _ one or more may be up to the Olympic Games standard by 1932. Another excellent win was that of M. IT. 0. Gutteridgc. in the half-mile, which he ran in linin 57 l-ssec. These four athletes, witli Wilkinson, LeighWood, and Tisdall, represent the backbone of the combined ’Varsities’ strength, and they should be prominent in the coming American tour, which will be valuable experience for them. I. R. Mann, of Geelong University, Australia, won the 120yds hurdles for Cambridge in 15 9-10 sec, and Oxford owed victory in the pole vault and shot put to E. R. M‘Gi!l, from Florida, and CV F. Gales, from Princeton, respectively. The high and long jumps were moderate, each ’Varsity’ gaining a win, so tho honours were shared in those.

France again took the team honours in the international cross-country race at Paris on Saturday. Ten nations sent teams, Spain, a newcomer, doing well to gain third position. By supplying six out of the first nine men home, Franc© returned the low total of dI points, England scoring 74 and Spain 117. A great effort at the finish enabled W. M. Cotterell to gain individual honours from 11. Dartigues, his time for the eight and a-qnarter miles being 46min 46sec. This is his second success in the race, his other victory being in 1.924. E. Harper, England’s national champion, was far below his iorm, and only finished seventeenth. BILLIARDS. Joe Davis beat T. Newman by 1,U16 in their two weeks’ billiard match at Sheffield, which ended on Saturday. His highest break was 842, and his form during the second week was of a high character. His latest success will give him confidence lor the championship match, and he may retain Ins title, though Newman is hard to beat. [Dans won.J