HE TOLD HOW THE GREAT RACE WAS WON.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 18008, 19 November 1926, Page 8

HE TOLD HOW THE GREAT RACE WAS WON.

I happened to be sitting alongside Mr Priestly, of “The Sporting Globe” on Cup Day at Flemington, while he was broadcasting a description of the race (says a Melbourne radio man). It was an amazing reflection that his words were being flashed across and through Australia and New Zealand, *t.hat ships at sea were picking them up, that home-voyaging Australians three thousand miles away, wondering what horse had won this historic handicap, should have the answer to their thoughts put beneath their eyes by this white magic of 3LO. I suppose hardly anything could so bring home to the mass of the people

the real meaning of broadcasting in the annihilation of distance as this description of a classic race, right from the racecourse. 3LO has broadcast descriptions of interesting events by the dozen. Waiting thousands have almost held their breaths while a wrestling match has been in the balance, they have listened with delight to historic functions, but there is nothing so universally interesting throughout the vast continent as the Melbourne Cup. For months before the famous second Tuesday in November, bushmen have studied dirty newspaper cuttings with the list of entries. The arrival of the mail with acknowledgements of wagers, with lists of a “certain consultation,” with tips from more for-tunately-placed friends in cities has been awaited with impatience. But for the enterprise of broadcasting, these folk would be left in ignorance of the issue of the event for days after it has been decided. What a difference! Now 3LO engages one of Australia’s most expert racing men, a man who knows the look, the form, the record of every horse engaged at the meeting. and he unrolls before the eyes of listeners the story, almost yard by yard, of the great race, and the less important ones that make up the card. Extraordinary 1 It is very pleasing to find that Wellington possesses young players who can make runs on difficult wickets (says the “Dominion”). Though Midland could only total 153 against ’Varsity at the Basin Reserve last Saturday, the students found the wicket quite to their liking. It was a great stand which A. M. Hollings and A. C. Tripe put on for the second wicket, when they added 152. Both played confidently, and, though the wicket favoured the bowlers, the youthful pair were resourceful and enterprising throughTripe, who reached 67, captained the Christ’s College eleven a couple of seasons back, and did yeoman service for his college with both bat and ball. He can serve up a good slow right-hand leg-break, and should develop into a front-rank player. He secured two wickets for 16 runs on Saturday. WHO WILL REPRESENT N.Z.? In eighteen months, the New Zealand Olympic team will be on the point of leaving the Dominion’s shores for the great tournament at Amsterdam in July, 1928. Finances allowing, it looks now as if this Dominion will be able to send away the best team that has ever left these shores, always provided, of course, that, the various centres do their part in developing the material that is offering. The New Zealand Amateur Athletic Association has submitted to the New Zealand Olympic Council the names of R. A. Rose and S. A. Lav as being athletes who at the present time are up to Olympic standard, and it will add the name of A. E. Porritt. It has submitted the names of the following who show promise of attaining Olympic standard in 1925:—11. D. Morgan, G. S. Cabot, C. M. Olsen, W. Kyle, P. Munro, W. G. Kalaugher, T. 11. Lee, J. W. Batstone, E. B. Taylor, M. Leadbetter, T. 11. Nalder, C. L. Allen and F. J. Grose. RETURN OF ROSE. It was expected that Randolph Rose, New Zealand and Australian one-mile and three-mile champion, would make his re appearance on the track at one of the early Wellington meetings, but apparently he will be first seen in action at the Mawera meeting, for which he is being starred as one of the principal attractions.