SPORT IN BRITAIN

Evening Star, Issue 20853, 24 July 1931, Page 8

SPORT IN BRITAIN

[Frou Ock Exclisii Cosrespondknt.l

LONDON, June IT

THE TURF,

Although Cameronian won tho Two Thousand Guineas and tho Derby, some of the greatest judges of form are not satisfied that the Beckhamptqu-trained crack is an out-and-out champion. Some think Sandwich: may yet prove his master, this belief being based on the fact that tho latter got no chance to come through at Epsom until near the end. It must be remembered, however, that when a horse is shut in and compelled to go at the pace set by other horses for over a mile, it is possible to produce a fast finish, if there is any reserve left. Had Sandwich been drawn alongside Cameronian and kept pace with tho Derby winner it is possible the colt would not have had that' strong finish which enabled the animal to go up into third place. Thus there is a big If about it. . Still, on tho Derby running, Sandwich does suggest possibilities for the St. Leger, as the race at Doncaster is a quarter of a mile longer. A glance at the racing figures to date shows how successful Fred. Darling has been so far. To have trained the win-

ners of three of the four classic events

already run isi indeed a triumph. Ten 1 horses in the Bockharapton stable have accounted for eleven races worth £37,- - 610 in stakes, and this gives him a lead of £23,000 over his nearest rival, also a Wiltshire trainer, in P. Dawson, of Manton. This suggests top place for Darling at the end of the season. Even Fred. Darling’s classic record'for 1931 has been surpassed by F. Carter in France. This Anglo-French trainer has been successful in three French classics to date, whilst the victory of Brulette in the English Oaks raised his classic .victories to four. The Chantilly trainer comes of an English family which has made a great record in Franco and done much to advance the prestige of French racing generally. GOLF. Recent happenings in the world of golf suggest certain interesting things. One is' that British-bom golfers most certainly improve after a lengthy sojourn in the United States. Jim Barnes (of Cornwall), Jock Hutchinson (of Scotland), and Tommy Armour (of Scotland) are three examples, all having won the open championship of Britain. Macdonald Smith is another ,who has come near doing so. .Why is this? Belief in one’s own ability is a big factor, and all with a close know- , ledge of sports and pastimes on both sides of the Atlantic know full well that a sportsman, and particularly a professional, has greater chances to acquire a belief in himself in tho States than in Britain. Speaking generally, he earns more money and is treated more as an equal by the rank and file in tho amateur world, and so naturally develops lus character and confidence. Naturally there are other factors, but there is a lot in the “ inferior complex,’’ and until a, man. can shako this off ho is handicapped. ... Another noticeable thing is the manner Argentine players have come right to tho front. At tho moment there are four golfers from the South American Republic hero who would stand an excellent chance _of beating any four ■ British players in a team match. What has already happened suggests that the Argentine Republic golfers are likely to trouble the United States and British cracks in all the big events they enter Boomer’s 'fourth round of 67 in the • French open championship, which enabled him to win, was a great effort, i the par score at Deauville being 75. ’ • CYCLING. Surely C. J. Hallerback, of the Norwood Paragon C. 0., must be one of the . most unfortunate racing cyclists of tho clay, so far as mishaps are concerned. He and M. G. Southall were paired for . ,the London Centro tandem champion- ■ ship over a. mile at Herne Hill last Saturday, and they had a bad smash in the last,lap. Hallerback broke*an arm, which will put him out of tho racing game for some time. He met with a ■ similar accident once before, and had only recently resumed racing. Prior to the fall Hallerback had finished second to S. Chambers, of the Brighton Stanley, in the Southern Counties sprint championship. The _last_ furlong in this occupied 13sec, which is interesting to compare with the times in the professional match between W. J. Bailey and Bob Spears, of Australia. In winning the first trial Bailey did 13sec for the last furlong, whilst Spears registered 13 2-ssec when winning the 550yds trial. The third test was a '44oyds trial, flying start,in which both , were timed:, to do 27 2-ssec, so that , honours were divided. Bailey is forty- " three years of age, and Spears must be Aas old, yet both retain much of their former ability. Some interesting performances were • accomplished on the _ road during tho week-end. In winning the Southern Counties’ Cycling Union fifty-mile race for the third time in .succession G. W. Jenkins, of the Hastings and St. Leonards C.C., made tho James Blair trophy his own property. The winner covered the journey unpaced in 2h >l2min 22sec.

Considerable surprise was created by the defeat of F. W. Southall and S. M. Butler in tho Warren open tandem ■“ fifty ” by N. H. Barnes and F. J. Soakes, of the Poole Wheelers. _ Tho Dorset pair rode the distance in Ih 53min 40sec, 3sec faster than Southall and Butler, and a fine effort. BOXING. The matching of Johnnie Cuthhcrt, the feather-weight champion of Britain, and A 1 Brown, the coloured boxer who bolds, the world’s bantam-weight crown, was a happy idea. ' Cuthbert is not what may be termed one of tho limelight boxers. He just gets on wjth his job as proprietor of an hotel, trains on simple but wise lines, and is always fit for a match. Like many Yorkshireraen, Cuthbert is level-headed, and he takes no liberties with his health.

Another thing which appeals to thinkers about Cnthbeyt is that he does his training at night,' and in the simple gymnasium he has had built adjoining his

place of business. He considers that as his contests are decided at night, it is fitting to train at the same hour. There is method in this, and it applies to other forms of competition besides boxing. Cuthbert can box and also mix it in a hot fight, and ho rather staggered the experts when ho met Ai Foreman, the Anglo-Canadian lightweight. How badly England is off for middleweights 'is reflected by Lon Harvey and Jack Hood again being matched. Naturally they will put up an interesting contest, but the point is that there does ’ not apjpear to bo a logical challenger among tho new men for Harvey’s title as middle-weight ehampion of Britain. The spread of boxing as a popular entertainment in tho provinces has been I No fewer than three open--air boxing shows were staged at Bhcf’i*.field on Saturday, and, although the i\weather was hardly favourable, big

Something of an international flavour was associated with the twelve rounds’ contest between Billy Gannon, formerly of New York, hut now of Liverpool, and T. Dexter, a local man. It proved a real good fight, and went all tho way, Gannon gaining tho award on points. Of tho London promotions tho fifteen rounds’ bout .between Bud Walloy, of Singapore, and J. Quinn, of Belfast, at Tho lliug ranked high. They' were very equally matohecl, ami there was little in it at the end, so that tho award to Walley rather surprised many onlookers. COUNTY ATHLETICS. Last Saturday was tho occasion of several county athletic championship meetings, at which many excellent performances wore accomplished. \v. Hertzog, a native of South Africa, but resident in Kent, was a notable winner at Gravesend. As in past seasons, ho went for tho field events, and succeeded in winning three—tho shot putt, tho javelin throw, ami tho discus throw. Perhaps his best performance was in the first-named, wherein his winning effort was 39ft 2iu. The Guy’s Hospital man certainly retains his form very well, and ho must have a big collection of medals by this time. Even Hertzog’s activity was surpassed by D, R. Bell, in the Hertfordshire championships at St. Albans, Besides winning tho shot putt, long jump, discus throw, and 120yds hurdles, ho was second in tho javelin throw and high jump, evidence that he is an all-rounder of merit. Bell also set up a new native record of 131 ft 7iu for the discus throw, though this is a long way behind the world’s best. —Three Good Wins. — Another series of good porforriiances was accomplished by H. J. Cohen, of tho Achilles A.C. when winning three Sussex County titles at Preston Park, Brighton, the track where the South African Olympic team of 1928 prepared for tho ordeal at Amsterdam. Cohen was clocked to run tho 100yds in 10sec, but tho conditions favoured him. Ho also scored in the 220yds and the long’ jump, his 22ft 9in efi’ort in the latter being good. A feature of the Middlesex championships at Edmonton was tho reappearance of Jack Loudon, who won the 100yds title for tho sixth time. It will bo recalled that he was second to Percy Williams of Canada in tho Olympic Games 100 metres at Amsterdam, and evidently ho retains much of his speed. E. L. Page, of tho Blackheath Harriers, hailed as England’s best 100yds runner, had an easy task to win the 100yds Surrey title at Guildford, the time being returned as 9 4-ssec. As he only beat H. H. Hodge by 18in, tbo time must bo taken cautiously. Another prospective national champion in G. L, Rampling easily won tbo 440yds 'title at Guildford, whilst an English and .Empire champion in T. Hampson scored in tho half-mile. Mention of Empire champions, S. Tomlin, who won tho three miles at the Hamilton Festival last August had a busy time of it during tho Herts County championships. Ho won the “ mile ” and half-mile, in that order, and later assisted St. Albans City A.C. to win tho county relay. —Champions Break Down. —

England can ill afford to have outstanding athletes break down, and it is particularly unfortunate that mishaps have overtaken S. E. Englehart, of York, and K. G. Brangwm, the 220yds and 440yds champions _of England respectively. In addition, Englehart won the 220yds Empire title at Hamilton, and he has been hailed as a decided “ hope ” for Olympic honours at Los Angeles. Competing in a sprint at Bradford last Saturday, the York man strained a muscle in tho thigh, and every Sprinter knows this is a very bad place to go wrong. Only rest will put it right, and there is always a risk of another mishap, whilst tho runner is constantly worrying. Englehart would bo wise to drop sprinting for tho rest of tho season in tbo hope that his injured muscle will stand the strain for the hard preparation which will be necessary _ for the 1932 Olympiad. Braugwin’s injury is of a like nature, and tho mishaps are indeed unfortunate, coming at such a time. L. E. Hobbs, a son of tho famous Cambridgeshire cricketer, who plays for Surrey, went to school with E. L. Pago, now considered England’s best sprinter. When tlio ladsi raced at school Hobbs was the more speedy, and seeing bow well Pago is doing in competitive athletics, he proposes to take it up. He appears to have grounds for his ambition, for ho won a sprint handicap at Beckenham last Saturday, clocking lOsec from tho > 2yd mark. This is promising, and young Hobbs may prove a decided help to England in big athletics. CRICKET. One direct result of tho now scoring system (which gives 15 points for a win) in the county cricket championship, has’ been to speed up cricket. Realising that there , was no time to play tho usual two innings, the rival captains of Yorkshire and Gloucestershire came to an understanding to declare tho first innings closed. Tbo first ball bowled was allowed to go to the boundary for four byes, and then the closure was a applied. Thus both sides started equal for tho second innings and playing for runs, tho match was carried through. This is indeed a brightening of cricket, and so much more satisfactory than under tho old order of things, wherein wo should have seen batsmen just trying to keep their end up, whilst playing for a draw. Dreary weather lias upset cricket of late, yet there are a few bright “spots.” One of them was tho splendid batting of _J, Hobbs in ,tho Amateur v. Professional match (still widely known under the snobbish title of Gentlemen v. Players) at Konnington Oval. Hobbs defied all the amateur bowlers during the two and threequarter hours’ play was possible on tho opening day, and his score of 101 was the 179th century ho has made in first-class cricket. Tho amateur side includes j). P. B. Mprkel, who is a South African.