THE WORLD OF SPORT.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 11282, 9 January 1915, Page 7

THE WORLD OF SPORT.

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RI'ORTSMKN .IN TliK HONOURS Li ST. LONDON". November *JO. SPORTSMEN IN THE HONOURS LIST. |l. is a sad Imil a proud tiling for old sportsmen to road the names in the casualty lists which our newspapers with bettor inspiration than n=mal h»ve agreed lo call "The Roll of Honour." Almost every man. certainly four out of five of tho officers, is specially identifvvl with porno form of sport. Among tho wounded one of the latest names is .that of Lieutenant Lewis Robertson, ot I tho Cameron*. Thnt is tho name famed j and honoured in the mimic war oi ! Rugbv football. A splendid upstanding athlete, hard as nails and as plucky as they make. them, with the coolest ' head for' an emergency and the stoutest heart against long odds, Lieutenant Bobertson was formerly captain of tho London Scottish Rugby tetm. That iin itself is testimonial enough. He i also captained the Army officers. He. had a fine set of international caps. "three against England, two against Irelaud and three against Wales, and' he also played for. Scotland against the last South African team at lnvp-rkith. A more robust- player of the most robust of all games Scotland never put .forth. When the Oamerous were stationed at Aldersbot he spent all bis spare time at the gymnasium, and was particularly-.interested -in the boxing competitions. He it was who captained the Army at Queen's Club only last March, when in the presence of the King they succeeded in the unexpected feat of beating the Navy. Among the missing is Captain E. L. W. Henslow. ■of that fine "regiment the Wiltslures. another great athlete and gymnast, who was one of the officers who after much ado succeeded in getting boxing included in the gymnastic cede for the Army. He was much esteemed as a judge in boxing championships, and in his younger days was more than a little "useful" with the gloves. Indeed, it is impossible to make any complete survey of the sportsmen Avho have shown in France and Flanders that they can fight as well as play, and do both like gentlemen. The figures have never yet been published, but I believe that up to date the British Army has lost 'close on 10CO officers killed. And they were good men. Let us hope that the new officers now being commissioned by scores for Lord Kitchener's army-will, prove themselves as good ■'men. Then they will bo good enough for anything, even to lead and shepherd the incomparable Thomas Atkins, Esquire. These new officers have a high tradition to keep up, but from what'one hears it will be found that tho 'tattered tunic of the Old Brigade has descended on them too. One well-known.-sportsman, Captain F. 0. Grouf'e'll, of polo lame, has the distinction of figuring first amongst the new V.'C.-'s.. Ho was one of England's ''Great Four" who so unexpectedly ..succeeded in bringing back the polo cup from America. Although we rejoice over the gallantry of Captain Grenlell, we have had occasion this week to lament the passing of a groat and promising athlete in youngAlr Gerard. B. L. -Anderson. .After- sweeping tho hoard in athletics at Eton, and leaving behind him a splendid tradition in other respects. he won scholastic a* weii as sporting fame at Oxford, and last, year was elected a Fellow. He held a good appointment in C'fiiumcll Laird's, but joined the Cheshireltegiment directly war broke out, and commanded a company 'when lie ' was killed. At Eton he - was one. of the best players of the field games seen for many years, and as a hurdler and sprinter he was of championship class. An unlucky fall deprived him of the hurdles in the Olympic Games at Stockholm in 1912. Another' good sportsman who has " gone out "■ is Lieutenant Collins, of the Royal Engineers, an old Clifton boy, who at j 'thirteen •years' 1 of age staggered juven- | lib humanity by footing 62S not out' lin a .Junior-House match. ••••■• j Good men, tho best we had, con-j tiiiue to give their lives and their j :.country and liberty in this great and j terrible war. and soon there will not be one famous sportsman left who .is not either in khaki, fighting the good fight or resting for over on the. field of honour; ,' The news has just reached London that '•Ranji " is for the front. His offer to go on active service has been accepted, and, though he. is''.now forty-two years of age and no longer-The supple •'stripling of the hrnve'days of old when he and C. ■ R. Fry.' .now afloat with the Navy,' were the terrors of every bowler that had to face Sussex, we may be sure that the ..Jam Sahib of Naw'angar will do his .duty like a sportsman and a prince '.of fighting-'stock. ■ ' '■■• i .____ ' Wonderful to relate, racing still goes on. So also does the great war. Years hence, "when the blood-red history of ]D],4 come, to be read and re-read, there will (our racing correspondent '•Centaur" writes) be no more amazing chapter than that which recites in cold' and calm language the doings on the turf while millions of men were engaged in bloody and annihilating conflict. ''One. might pursue this line of thought to a.n indefinite extent., but a. pause- shall bo cried. Do not let it be supposed that because horses are being raced and men are wagering together on the results that there is a callous disregard of the blood that is being shed day and night in the fighting" lines. Poaeing is a.s much of an industry and a menus of providing employment as any other national nist.itnt'ion. So. therefore, it goes on. The element of sport is practically eliminated, and similarly you do not find those engaging in it who are eligible to bear arms for King and country. Raeing.iu the fall of 1911 is but a perfunetorv business in every sense of the word. .' Last week's comments on current affairs on the turf broke off with the first day of the important meeting at Liverpool. Hare Id ill had won the Lancashire Handicap for Mr Bower Tsmav. who suffered, such a. grievous disappointment when (Taganour was disqualified for the Derby of Wi'.i. It was on the third day of the meeting that we had .Mr George Edwardes's three-year-old, Flying.Orb. winning the Steward*' .Handicap of five furlongs. He is mily a three-year-old. and he carried the big weight for a horse of his age of Sst lMlli. He is the horse, too, that won the Portland Plate at .Doncaster, and in winning now at Liverpool he gave Tllh to "Trinity Square, and beat Hornet's Beauty, who was conceding olb. out of sight. Pndoubtedly Flying Orb is a great sprinter; indeed, ho may be the greatest there, has been on tho English turf for three, years. He might., indeed. _he better "than he is now "but 'for having been trained' for the Derby. _ That, was an ordeal which, as his trainer. P. Hartigan tells mo, tried him very much, because, the horse could never stay, and the . preparation took the heart and constitution out of him. This it is reasonable to assume that Flying Orb will next year bo a relatively better horse, thari he is now. If that surmise be

REVIEWS BY FAMOUS WRITERS.

well based he will undoubtedly be *™ r great one. He. is a big chestnut horse, * showing unmistakeable quality and fine scope of action. His sire is Orby. who,' it will be recollected, won the Derbv of PK.I7 for " Boss " Croker. All things considered, Orby has been a success as) a, sire, though bo was considered to have been lucky in the Derby to defeat Woohvinder, who won theStLeger of the same year for Colonel Baird. Orhy'.s success at the fitud naturally brings to mind the fact that his son, Diadumenos, who is owned by Lord d'Abernon (until lately Sir Edgar Vin-J cent) won the Liverpool -Cup la&t Vriday. Diadumenos is also a big chest- " nut horse, but both the Hon George Lambton and the Australian, K. do Mestre. who have trained him. have' given him a reputation for shiftiness. It has always been urged against him that he would never race, away from ' an opponent, though it was easily within his capabilities to do His failure to win the Cambridgeshire has been ascribed to this t disinclination. Previous to that he had finished third to Nassau and Green Falcon for tho Duke of York Stakes at Kempton Park. Then in the Cambridgeshire he was 1 - beaten by two short beads by Honeywood and Ambassador. His turn came _., in the. Liverpool Cup, for which ■he started favourite; in a field of eight. Nevertheless he had to he driven all out to win by a head from , Wrack, who as a fire-year-old was con-' ceding him. 61b. At the distance, which is commonly understood to be lehs than two furlongs from home, it seemed as if this Oup was going to be wop by'Mr James Buchanan's William's Pride. is ouly a small and narrow filly by William the Third, but she was fancied "on. this occasion, and, as stated, she look- - '■ e.d like winning not so far from home. ' Then Wrack began to look dangerous, but at once Diadumenos ranged alongside, and from that to the finish an ex- ' '* citing race took place. If Lord d'Abernon's horse had been game he wotild' "' have come on to win easily, but lie would not draw clear of Wrack, and it" was by the merest chance, as it seemedc- *' to nii'i, that his head happened to be in front as they passed the judge. Wil- * liam's Pride was third, and behind . were Drinmore and China Gock. the / latter of whom had won the last three *« Liverpool Clips. On the fourth and closing day of the ' meeting the Grosvenor Oup, of a mil© and a quarter, was won by an outsider in Mr Larnaeh's Print. Tt was '' Mr Larnacli who won the Derby of 1898 with Jeddah. Print, "' ever, is by Lord Derby's horss Chaucer. For this race the far vourite was Mr. Buchanan's Draughts-' - man. who, however, ran badly. Men- ' ; tion may perhaps he made of one or two other races. Thus Buskin, under the big burden of 9st 41b, made an endeavour to win the Liverpool Nursery for Mr Huiton. This so>i of Com us and Aunt Hetty had wo-i t.hfl. \' Free Handicap at Newmarket under

Bst 1.31b-a fine performance—and on this occasion he beat all but one. and that was the 'Yorkshire-trained aud weirdly-named Pip, Pip, Pip, who was in receipt of'-'olb and won easily. Balscadden, the most versatile horse in training, won the November Hurdle' Handicap under the big burden of 12st 71b for Mr Bower Ismay, and Sir William Nelson's Ally Sloper won the Valentine Steeplechase. Of the racing at Leicester it need only be mentioned that Lord d'Abernon's Gum Shoe won .the Leicester Selling Handicap. of £SOO. Lie started a red-hot favourite and much money was won over him.

Coming- to the Derby on Wednesday we had Lord Carnarvon's Yolta- putting up a very fine performance by winning the Chesterfield Nursery under 9st. This is a really good colt --up to five -" furlongs, and considering the weight carried the performance is one. of very special merit. The Marker ton. Plate, of a mile, was won by ;i head by Donaeloney. who is trained in Yorkshire by Dobson Peacock. It would better har* suited people generally had ■ Mr Hey- ■ bourne's Cigar won by a head instead of baying been defeated by that margin. Cigar and Solistem. who is drained for Al. CaJmann, a French owner, by Alec Taylor, ran a dead heat, beaten only a head from the winner. Cigar now goes to hurdle racing. CRICKET PROSPECTS. M It has been evident for some- tira»' -J that the chance of county cricket-.being % played next summer was'very small. Offi* " \ c tally the edict was that everything .■* would depend on the progress of the war. It ;s usual, for the comity fixtures to be arranged about this time \ of the year, but so hopeless is the outlook < hat ..the meetings of secretaries and captains have been indefinitely postponed. This is almost, tantamount to a decision abandoning the championship next summer, for as thin"* Hire at the present time none of the counties could raise a. team, many of the professionals, as well as practically ■nil the amateurs, having enlisted, either for active service or for home defenco. Most of the grounds are being used for the training a.nd drilling of recruits, and tbry will be needed for this purpose, one fears, for a considerable time. At Lords accommodation has been found for the "Blues' 1 and the. artists' corps, both of whom a,re now at the front, and the hcadquartei-s of English cricket are now in the hands of the Army Service Corps. In ad- ~. dition to the £'looo subscribed to tli© Prince of AVaW Relief Fund, tlia M.C.C. have contributed' over £6OO to other funds.

SCTTLLI>Tr. The retirement of B. Arnst. . tb*,/,'. New Zealand professional sculler and - all-round athlete, comes as a. surprise.-. ,'■ and a disappointment. Bowing men '■•"' were looking forward to another visit, from him, and perhaps a third chain- ; pionship with Barry. People over here were very loud ot Amst. He, was so thorough in his methods, so modest and 1; so quiet, that he seemed to us tha very type of the best sportsmanship ,_; from overseas. James Paddon. the big Australian, expressed the opinion, after his match last September with. Barry, that the latter was well nigh, invincible on the Thames. For the pre- ;.'■ sent this is our confident view in England, but nevertheless another match '"; between A rust and tho champion would have been very interesting, and assur- ;''_ edly no walk over. Arnst haying retired, the view over here is that ''* Paddon would prove the heat of all' the aspirants to the Australian sculling championship, unless there are soma ."''/ particulnrly fine dark horses down ;- under. Barry beat Paddon quite con- ; v ; ehisively on the Thames, but it was ■'■'- a fine race all the same, and there was no mistaking Paddon's power, pace and - style.