THE CLUBMAN.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Issue 1168, 29 August 1912, Page 8

THE CLUBMAN.

‘■Auckland’s Has-beens” is the cynical and disparaging way the “Dominion” refers to the Auckland Rugby team —the defenders of the Ranfurly Shield—-that defeated “Wellington’s Dike-to-have-beens” on Saturday at Alexandra Park. The 1912 Wellington challengers blew into the Queen City like a veritable tornado, intent on sweeping everything before them. But the “Windy City” representatives found their “blow” died away t 6 a zephyr before they were matched for a quarter of an hour in earnest contest against “Auckland’s Has-beens.” Our veterans don’t wither away like the erotic athletics “forced” at Newtown Park.

Aucklanders love wholesome rivalry, and there are not a few staunch admirers of the Rugby code who earnestly believe that if the Ranfurly Shield left the North for a period it would give fresh zest to the annual contests;, yet we don’t intend to lower our colours to arrogant challengers. This is the manner, in which the fo.otball scribe “ Aristobulos,” in the “ Dominion,” wrote on the eve of the match: “The great fault with the Auckland team which met Taranaki was that the team was picked'on tire principle of including the has-beens and excluding the younger and better men. Actual performance is the only true qualification for representative football; reputation, which _is necessarily a thing of the past, will not get results. What is wanted is the fifteen best men, not the fifteen most renowned players. Yet, some selectors will stick in has-beens so long as they have a leg to run about on.” From this we can presume that had the selector included “the younger and better men” Wellington might have had a very sorry time. Perhaps the selector was charitable!

Again the boastful “Aristobulos” wrote: “The Auckland team contained too many Methuselas. The ‘oldest inhabitant’ was present in ‘good force.’ Some of the forwards, probably, took the field wearing their Maori war medals, and others may have shown traces of hard experiences in the Crimea. Auckland once had an excellent forward team. The men who composed that forward team are now famous; but they are not excellent. They are still chosen to represent Auckland; but they are selected because they are famous, and not for their excellence, which has vanished ■with the years.” The Methuselas, as Saturday’s game proved, were quite good enough to lower Wellington’s pride twelve points!

Rivalry is an admirable attribute to any sport—in fact, it is the salt of emulation —and “The Clubman” applauds the enthusiasm, shown over the Ranf.urly Shield contest last week, by Wellingtonians and Aucklanders alike in supporting their respective teams. But enthusiasm soon runs to seed —as in the case of “Aristobulos” —and is then liable to dis-

credit the fine traditions of a game that has long been proudly regarded as our national game.

The recent Olympic Games at Stockholm amply demonstrate- what rivalry is liable to descend to when hot-headed critics are allowed to use the Press to air their hare-brained opinions. These writers usually

assign the failure of champions to symptoms of national decadence. Great Britain, which for generations has been first and foremost in the athletic world, was this year beaten —and beaten ,badly —by the representatives of Sweden and the United States, besides being hard pressed by Germany and France. Numerous newspapers contained special articles suggesting causes for the failure of the British representatives, and how the national “rot” was to be stopped.

When, however, the matter is critically sifted the defeat of the Motherland is seen to have been due chiefly, if not entirely, to the superior training and better management of the representative teams from other nations. Everybody admits that while England is excellence in athletics it is almost entirely a matter for the individual, there.is.,in America

and most of the northern countries of Europe a strong national effort being. piade to promote physical culture. The Swedes owe their success at the Olympiad to the fact that for more than a century they have given as much attention to physical develop nient" - as they" have to mental de-, velopment, and their methods have been adopted by the Finns, Danes, Norwegians, Bohemians, and Swiss. France and Germany have followed more tardily; but the slightest attention to international sport show

that these great nations are also moving swiftly in the same direction.

England’s way is usually to refuse to believe, at first, that there is or can be anything new to learn in athleticism. Then she goes to sleep. When the clamour that the other nations are making by their handling of their champioiis ultimately wakes. her and she has rubbed her eyes, she realises that the rumour of methodical preparation held some truth. Also that, to use a sporting metaphor, she has been badly “left at the post.” After that she does her best to catch up—her best according to her lights. Then the business side of athletics is neglected.

England has a colossal belief in her good luck. Brains, admittedly, will win something; money will obtain even more, jjei’haps. England believes firmly that the good luck which has stood by her so consistently for generations is more valuable than the two put together. England believes that good luck was going to win her an honoured place among the nations successful in the Olympic Games this year. A certain amount of intelligence did assist, but of money there was no need. Anyway, England certainly did not show any indication of furnishing what has always been regarded as the sinews of war.

Other nations did. The Swedish Government provided the Swedish Olympic Committee with over £45,000 towards the expenses of holding the Games. To the Olympic Committees of their respective for the purpose of providing adequate representation in the several athletic events and defraying the cost of the same, other Governments have made grants. Germany allotted £1000; Hungary, £2000; France, £3000; Italy, £1000; while America lavished money in the most princely manner to secure the best representatives and give them the best preparation. England, the birthplace of modern athletic sport, was quite content to leave to private enterprise the meeting of all the expenses inseparably connected with the upholding of the honour of the country in a foreign land.

This was the financial aspect of the Olympic Games, which, without a doubt, assisted very materially in wresting from Great Britain the premier honours in the field of athletics, and unquestionably accounted for the dismal failure of our New Zealand representatiy.es. But “The Clubman” contends that the Games, despite their results, do not discredit British athletics or does not signify any national decadence. The whole subject is epotomised in, Kipling’s words: “That is England’s awful way of doing business.”

According to a German statistician, there are eighty million horses in the world. No wonder so much difficulty is experienced in picking a winner.

Mr E. J. Watt’s gelding Wimmera, who filled second place in. the Australian Hurdle Race at Caulfield this month, is in the private sale list.

The Rover outclassed the opposition in the Jumpers’ Flat Handicap at Riccarton, and he received more weight in the New Zealand,. Cup than any horse which tools part in the Winter Cup.

Black Northern was sadly off in all his engagements last week. He must be a long way better horse than he showed at Riccarton, and possibly he will demonstrate that fact at the spring meeting of the Australian Jockey Club, at which, it is understood, he will be a competitor in the jumping races.

The winners of three of the important jumping races in Victoria this winter cost their present owners 247 %gs. Wingarara (Grand National Hurdle Race) cost 95gs, Guncap (Grand National Steeplechase) 42% gs, and Uxbridge (Australian Hurdle Race) HOgs.

The volume of totalisator investments in New Zealand seems small when compared with the totals reached in France. On the day the Grand Prix de Paris was run the sum of £209,000 was handled, which is a record.

Ventura and Deeside gave evidence -early last season in Australia of the extreme brilliancy of Traquair’s stock. A further illustration was provided at the meeting of the Victoria Amateur Turf Club this month, when Count Traquair won the Crimea Handicap. A Melbourne writer, summing the race up, said that “the official verdict was ‘won easily by six lengths,’ but the boy on Count Traquair could easily have made it a hundred yards.”

Antarctic is to be put by until the next jumping season comes round. He will be treated to a spell until about January, then taken up again and started off in another pursuit after National honours. His owner states that a good horse deserves a good chance, and Antarctic will be converted into a new horse if care and attention can effect the change.

Paritutu Is the best all-round horse seen in New Zealand since the days of Liberator. The latter ran into a place in the New Zealand Cup, so did Paritutu. Liberator won two National Hurdles, and also ran third to Dummy; his rival was twice second in the same race. Liberator won the Great Northern Steeples and a Great Northern Hurdles, but was unplaced in the National Steeples each time he went to the post. Liberator won a Dunedin Cup and several other races, whilst Paritutu was also a good winner “across the fiat,” and has now put up a first and a second in the Grand National Steeples.—“ Sentinel,” in Otago “Witness.”

Nominations for future classics to be decided by the Wellington. Racing Club close on September 2.

Handicaps for the Dannevirke meeting are due to appear on Saturday. Acceptances for the same close bn Wednesday next.

Nominations for the Otaki Spring venture close on Saturday.

It is said that Prosper is likely to be one of a team taken to Australia. There seems to be an opinion abroad that the Advance gelding is a better horse than his Riccarton form suggests. He is a fine big gelding, and should make a rare hurdler if put to the business. He looks, however, a sort that should prove a bit more than useful on the flat when carrying the confidence of his party.

Although it is over two months before the New Zealand Cup will be decided the early backers have been trying to select the winner. At present Bronze is the ruling favourite, but the price on offer is a ridiculously short one considering that the Highden filly is handicapped at only a pound under weight-for-age.

Various stories are in circulation as to what took place during the hearing of evidence at the inquiry

after the race for the Grand National Hurdles, says “Glencoe,” in the “Dominion.” Reasons are advanced for the purpose of justifying the stewards, and on the other hand there are contentions made with a view to indicating that their decision was not justified. It is alleged that one of the witnesses flatly contradicted another as to what took place during the scrimmage. Quite the most sensational allegation at present in the air is that one of the stewards, who sat on the inquiry, was under the impression that Young rode The Native and Price rode Paisano. It is further said that this steward only discovered his mistake when the whole thing had been dealt with.

The judge at Flemington receives 250sovs a year, and the starter 300 sovs. No doubt “he is the judge and a good judge, too,” but the salary margin between the two positions is ridiculous, says “Sentinel.” The same thing is noticeable in the Dominion, where the handicapper, who is the foundation of racing, gets a preposterous salary because it is not deemed by some clubs to be a much more important position than that of a race-course detective. Racing clubs in this country seem to overlook the highly-important fact that unless good handicapping is backed by good starting the sport is seriously impaired. A weakness in either department is a big incentive to fraud, and, of course, the climax of their work has to be grasped by a thoroughly competent man; but there are two difficult positions to fill, and a comparatively easy one.