SPORT IN BRITAIN

Lake Wakatip Mail, Issue 4011, 4 August 1931, Page 2

SPORT IN BRITAIN

LONDON, June 11. THE TURF. Although Cameronian won the Two Thousand Guineas and the Derby, some of the greatest judges of form arc not satisfied that the Beckhampton-traiued crack is an out-and-out champion. Some think Sandwich may yet prove his master. this belief being based on the fact that the 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 the Derby winner it is possible the celt 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 the 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 winners of three of the four classic events already run is indeed a triumph. Ten horses in the Beckhampton stable have accounted for eleven races worth £37,(310 in stakes, and this gives him a lead of £23.000 over his nearest rival, also a Wiltshire trainer, in P. Dawson, of jlanton. This suggests top place lor Darling at the end of the season. Even Fred. Darling's classic record for 19*31 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 trance and done much to advance- the prestige or French racing generally.

GOLF. Recent happenings in the world of <>oh suggest certain interesting tilings. One is that British-born goiters 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 ci Britain. Macdonald Smith is anothei who has come near doing so. \\ hy is this? Belief in one’s own ability is a bio factor, and all with a close knowledge of sports and pastimes on both sides of the Atlantic know lull well that a sportsman, and particularly a professional, has greater chances to acquire a belief in himself in the States than in Britain. Speaking generally, he earns more nionev and is treated more as an equal bv the rank and file in the amateur world, and so naturally develops his character and confidence. Aaturallv there are other factors, but there is a lot in the “ inferior complex, and until a man can shake this ott he is handicapped. Another noticeable thing is the manner Argentine players have come right to the front. At the moment there tie four golfers from the South American Republic here who would stand an excellent chance of beating any tour British players in a team match. \v hat has already happened suggests that the Argentine Republic goiters are hkels to trouble the United States and British cracks in all the big events they enter k> Roomer’s fourth round of 07 in the French open championship, which enabled him to win, was a great eitort. the par score at Deauville being <o.

CYCLING. Surclv C. J. Haller back, or the Norwood Paragon C.C., must be one of the most unfortunate racing cyclists of the (lav so far as mishaps are concerned. He and M. G. Southall were paired tor the London Centre tandem championship 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 the racing o-ame for some time. He met with a similar accident once before, and had uulv recently resumed racing. J nor 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 m the professional match between W. L Bailey and Bob Spears, of Australia. In winning the first trial Bailey did 13sec for the lust furlong, whilst Spears registered 13 2-ssec when winning the ooUvds trial. The third test was a 440 yds trial, flying start,in which both wore timed to do 27 2-sscc, so that honours were divided. Bailey is tort>three years of age, and Spears must be as old" yet both retain much of their former ability.

Some interesting performances were accomplished on the road during the week-end. Jn winning the Southern Counties’ Cycling Union fifty-mile race for the third time in succession G. VV. Jenkins, of the Hastings and St. Leonards C.C., made the James Blair trophy his own property. Hie winner covered the journey unpaced m -h 12min 22sec. Considerable surprise was created by the defeat of E. W. Southall and S. M. Butler in the Warren open tandem “fifty” by X. H. Barnes and F. J. Seakes, of the Poole Wheelers. r lhe Dorset pair rode the distance in In o3min JOsec, 3sec faster than Southall and Butler, and a fine effort.

BOXING. The matching of Johnnie Cuthbert, the feather-weight champion of Britain, and AI Brown, the coloured boxer who holds the world's bantam-weight crown, was a happy idea. Cuthbert is not what may be termed one of the limelight boxers. He just gets on with Jus job as proprietor of an hotel, trains on simple but wise lines, and is always fit for a match. Like many Yorkshiremen, Cuthbert is levcLhcaded, and he takes no liberties with his health. Another thing which appeals to thinkers about Cuthbert 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 he met Al Foreman, the Anglo-Canadian lightweight. How badly England is off for middleweights is reflected by Leu Harvey and Jack Hood again being matched. Natur-

ally they will put up an interesting contest, but the point is that there docs not apjpear to be a logical challenger among the new men for Harvey’s title as middle-weight champion of Britain. The spread of boxing as a popular entertainment in the provinces has been remarkable. No fewer than three openair boxing shows were staged at Sheffield on Saturday, and, although the weather was hardly favourable, big crowds attended each.

Something of an international flavour was associated with the twelve rounds’ contest between Billy Gannon, formerly of New York, but now of Liverpool, and T. Dexter, a local man. It proved a real good fight, and went all the way, Gannon gaining the award on points. Of the London promotions the fifteen rounds’ bout between Bud Walley, of Singapore, and J. Quinn, of Belfast, at The Ring ranked high. They were very equally matched, and there was little in it at the end, so that the award to Walley rather surprised many onlookers.

CO UNIT ATH LETTCS. Last Saturday was the occasion of several county athletic championship meetings, at which many excellent performances were accomplished. A . Hertzog, a native of South Africa, but resident in Kent, was a notable winner at Gravesend. As in past seasons, he went for the field events, and succeeded in winning three —the shot putt, the javelin throw, and the discus throw. Perhaps his best performance was in the first-named, wherein his winning effort was 39ft 2in. The Guy’s Hospital man certainly retains his form very well, and he must have a big collection of medals by this time. Even Hertzog’s activity was surpassed by 1). R. Bell in the Hertfordshire championships at St. Albans. Besides winning the shot putt, long jump, discus throw, and 120 yds hurdles, he was second in the 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 7in for the discus throw, though this is a long way behind tlie world s best.

—Three Good Wins. — Another series of good performances was accomplished by H. J. Cohen, of the 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 the ordeal at Amsterdam. Cohen was clocked to run the 100 yds in lOsec, but the conditions favoured him. He also scored in the 220 yds and the long jump, his 22ft 9in effort in the latter being good. A feature of the Middlesex championships at Edmonton was the reappearance of Jack London, who won the 100 yds title lor the sixth time. It will be recalled that he was second to Percy V\ illiams of Canada in the Olympic Games 100 metres at Amsterdam, and evidently he retains much of his speed. E. L. Page, of the Blackheath Harriers, hailed as England’s best 100 yds runner, had an easy task to win the 100 yds Surrey title at Guildford, the time being returned as 9 4-ssec. As he only beat H. H. Hodge by ISin. the time must be taken cautiously.

Another prospective national champion in G. L. Rampling easily won the 140 yds title at Guildford, whilst an English and Empire champion in T. Ifampson scored in the halt-mile. Mention of Empire champions. S. Tomlin, who won the three miles at tlie Hamilton Festival last August had a busy time of it during the Herts County championships. He won the “ mile ” and half-mile, in that order, and later assisted St. Albans City A.C. to win the 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. Brangwin, the 220 yds and 410 yds champions of England respectively. In addition, Englehart won the 220 yds Empire title at Hamilton, and he been hailed as a decided “hope’’ lor Olympic honours at Los Angeles. Competing in a sprint at Bradford last Saturday, the York man strained a muscle in the 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 the runner is constantly worrying. Englehart would be wise to drop sprinting for the rest ol the season in the hope that his injured muscle will stand the strain for five hard preparation which will bo necessary lor the 1932 Olympiad. Brangwin’s injury is of a like nature, and the mishaps are indeed unfortunate, coining at such a time.

L. E. Hobbs, a son of the famous Cambridgeshire cricketer, who plays lor Surrey, went to school with E. L. Page, now considered England’s best sprinter. When the lads raced at school Hobbs was the more speedy, and seeing how well Page is doing in com petitive athletics, he proposes to take it up. He appears to have grounds for his ambition, for he won a sprint handicap at Beckenham last Saturday, clocking lOscc from the 2yd mark. This is promising, and young Hobbs may prove a decided help to England in big athletics.

CRICKET. One direct result of the new scoring system (which gives 15 points for a win) in the county cricket championship. lias been to speed up cricket. Realising that there was no time to play the usual two innings, the rival captains of Yorkshire and Gloucestershire came to an understanding to declare the first innings closed. The 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 the second innings and playing for runs, the match was carried through. This is- indeed a brightening of cricket, and so much more satisfactory than under the old order of things, wherein we should have seen batsmen just trying to keep their end up, whilst playing for a draw. Drearv weather has upset cricket of late, vet there are a few bright “spots.” One of them was the splendid batting of J. Hobbs in the Amateur v. Professional match (still widelv known under the snobbish title of Gentlemen v. Players) at Kennington Oval Hobbs defied all the amateur bowlers during the two and threequarter hours’ play was possible on the opening day, and his score of 101 was the 179 th century he has made in first-class cricket. The amateur side includes I). P. B. Morkel, who is a South African.