In the Open Air

Timaru Herald, Volume XIIC, Issue 13874, 10 April 1909, Page 4 (Supplement)

In the Open Air

At Cambridge last term, the Bootham's School (York) freshman, P. J. Baker, created a good deal of astonishment by winning several races, in which he eclipsed all previous performances for freshmen, including those of such famous runners as La Touche, Gregson, Horan, and Lutyens. On February 16th last ho was placed as scratch in the Emmanuel Half-mile Strangers Handicap. There were fifteen runners, and Baker had to run very wide for some considerable part of the distance But he captured the lead 300 yards from home, and won by three yards in Imin 59 2-osec. Considering the conditions it was a remarkably fine achievement, and of course has not been approached by any freshman at Oxford or Cambridge.

A GREAT CONTEST. A crowded house watched a great fight at the Gaiety (Sydney), on the night of March 23rd.. Frank Fitzjolm and Billy Elliott, ex-bantam-weight champions of Australia were the principals. Such a fine couple of lads have rarelv been matched. Both were well charged with pluck, and each showed the skill of the game as it is seldom seen nowadays.

Sid Sullivan, Harry Dawson, ' Tap. Sullivan, and Jimmy Russell were behind Fitzjohhj and Elliott's wants had the attention of liis trainer (Patsy Buries), Bob Bryant, and Ellis Mobbs. In the opening round there was an eagerness on both sides to get to it that pleased the house immensely, and already the footwork and countering of the two clever boys placed them on good terms with the follower of the game who hungers for the science as well as force and grit. The master weapon—the left —was much in evidence, and came from the shoulder straight as a dart, or cleanly hooked as the situation rcquird. Fitz wone the honours of the opening round. Elliott roughtd a good deal in the second, and transgressed the Queeusberry code once or twice by hanging on with one hand wlule he walloped fjie other home. Things went slightly Elliott's way this time. . Lefts full of power went to Fitzjohn's credit in the second, till a right-cross to the jaw brought a serious expression to his face. Elliott was cautioned lor holding ami hitting, and lie—little man that the boy is—aeunowledgcd ins lautt Dy shaKing lianas with tne otlier youngster. J. no luurth was an even time, as lull of light as an egg is full ol meat, bo equal were things throughout the filth that one coiud only marK just the shadow of a lead to i'itz's credit. And thus the engagement proceeded. The sixth was tue fciydneyite's, also the seventh, while tne eightn saw neither a bit better than the other, but Elliott bolted during the ninth —literally took the bit in his teeth and retired to be groomed with a good surplus in hand. Elliott was master in the tenth, the eleventh, the twelfth, the thirteenth, and the fourteenth, but never by more than a slight margin. In the 'fifteenth Fitzjolm forced his way to the front by a trifle, but was compelled to play second fiddle in the next. The sixteenth saw Frank assert himself once more, and he never let the advantage slip again, excepting to a slight extent in the twientieth round. There was certainly'little to choose between the pair at the end, and no man could justly cavil at Jim Barron's verdict—a draw .

A motor trip crowded with unfortunate incidents was related in a London Court recently. Mr Edward Erl, Grosvenor-square, pleaded guilty to driving a motor car in Regent's Park at twenty-one miles an hour, but entreated Mr Plowden to dismiss the summons on the ground that it was the most miserable journey he had ever had in his life. " "Why I""-asked Mr Plowden sympathetically. " Wliat made you so unhappy '(" Mr Erl explained that he met an old Irieud wliom he had not seen for a lung time, and offered to drive him to Marylebone Station, but ou the way the '-rotten tyre went down," with the result that his friend lost his train and had to wait an hour and a half. To cheer him up ho took him for a drive to Hampstead Heath. On the way they were stopped by the constables m .Regent's Park for excessive speed, and a little later ran into three more constables. Then, while they were having tea, someone stole the clock from the car, and they had scarcely set out on their journey again when a policeman pulled them up for not having a light. "Well," added Mr Erl, "I gave him 2s to find ,a place where I could borrow a lamp, and that was the last I saw of him." (Laughter.) •"Well," said Mr Plowden, with a smile, "if I am not moved to tears it is not your fault. Twenty shillings—a miserable day." (Laughter.) Probably no man ever played such a prominent part in the history of the Australian turf as did the leviathan bookmaker, the late Joe Thompson, whose death at Madeira, where he had gone for health recruiting purposes, was recently announced. He was christened "King of the King" by the late Mr E. S. Chapman ("Augur" of "The Australasian"') a name which stuck to him to the end. He arrived in Australia in the early fifties andaftcr gold-mining had occupied his attention for twenty years, substituted the pick for the pencil and quickly made his presence felt. In IWSI he made a big book on the Melbourne Derby and Cup, and it was the magnitude of these books that really made the Melbourne Cup. From 18<>1 until 1889 he always manufactured a. huge volume on these two races, with, of course, varying success. A writer in the' Manchester Guardian says that now that internal differences in the Australian cricket world have composed themselves, and the colonial team to visit England this year has been pierced together, speculations on the English captaincy in the test matches has bercun. "If," says the paper, "Mr F. S. Jackson can be persuaded to return to first-class cricket,

the Board of Control would look no further for a leader, but I hear that he has informed his friends that Lord's will see him no more. Both Mr A. C. MacLaren and Mr R. E. Foster, captains of past test teams, have allowed their cricket to rust, and though cither would he a popular choice, their willingness to serve in such a. responsible position is doubtful. Mr C. B. Fry, who is still in the active list, and likely to remain there for several seasons, has a ripe experience of the leading Australian batsmen, and a greater knowledge than most men of their vulnerable points. In any event he is assured of a place iu the English eleven, and, failing the three others, I believe it is not unlikely that 'C.B.' will be invited."