Advertiser (Adelaide, SA : 1889 - 1931), Wednesday 15 January 1919, page 10


THE WORLD OF SPORT

(From Our Special Correspondent.)

London, November 7,' IMS.

An extraordinarily thrilling Cambridgeshire, worthy in every way of peace time and the far greater excitement it would have caused, marked the principal race at Newmarket. It was won by a head for the Greek merchant. Mr. "Michalmos,

by the three-year-old mare Zinovia! Second to her, beaten. by the narrow margin indicated, was Sir Hedworth Men's four-year-old Dansellon, and third, also only a head away, Javas the three-yearold Irish Elegance. Close up to them was Arion, a horse of Lord Jersey's with extremely moderate form to his credit, and Hainault and River shore The lastnamed had been a good favorite for the race until just before the horses went to the starting post. By that time weight of money had put Zinovia at the head of affairs, and this position was maintained when the real proof came. She carried the big weight for a three-year-old of Ç.7, and every credit must be given her for having scored a signal triumph. Going street!;: on form she should have been beaten by Rivershore, but it was made quite clear that the mare had improved more with pigs than the cork. This development had not been suggested by her form in the classic races during the year, and to account for the big weight the handicapper had given her one must go back to her form as a two-year-old. She was undoubtedly very smart last autumn, and it is quite evident now that she is an autumn mare. Many a good name has not come to her arrest until the fall of the year, and one could quote many notable examples to prove this point.

Her great chance of winning was revealed to her trainer during the week before the race. She had apparently thriven on her preparation until one morning the very smart Bramble Twig, belonging to Lady Nelson, and also trained, in a neighboring stable at Lambourne, was borrowed for the purpose of trying her. " She obviously answered the question asked of

her, and then it was that they set out to race

her in real earnest.' The result was the comparatively short price at which she started. Anquestionably those associated with her expected her to win by more than a head, just as Mr. Solly Joel and his friends were full of confidence that Evermore would have more than a head to the good as the judge's box was passed. The same may roe sale of Hainault and Not Much. However, only one can win and that one was Zinovia, though I thought Dummllon might just as easily have been a head in front at the finish as a head behind. His jockey seemed to find some little trouble in the last, furlong, and. I should say his horse was certainly going faster as they flashed past the judge than Zluova was. Irish Elegance had won easily enough at seven furlongs, but this brilliantly speedy horse cannot stay a Cambridgeshire course. His chance will come if we should be racing at Ascot next year. He scorns marked out to be a. Royal Hunt Cup winner. Though finishing just outside a plaY threshers did. of course, greatly disappoint, and I am afraid we must now write, him down as only moderate after all In this view I "am now supported

by his jockey, Donoghue, who says that the

horse could not respond when asked to shoot out and make a supreme effort. He could only make a labored effort and certainly nothing in the nature of a shoot." You will gather what I mean when I say that a jockey can sit still on a well-trained horse ainT just keep a nice, well

balanced need of his head. Then, directly he relaxes that hold and urges on the screen by a shake of the reins, the animal should make what sport he is capable of. Riversliore, says Donoghue, could not quicken. Two days later, when he was competing for the Durham. Handicap, and it was thought his task was easier, the jockey, realised the same incapacity on the horse's part, with the result that he was again beaten out of a place. I

do not believe in remaining 12-inch to such horses. The disability is physical, I am sure, rather than mental. Were it otherwise we should probably be justified in calling River here a rogue, but I do not think the aspersion is just fied.

To return for a moment to Zinovia one recalls that she only cost her present owner Mr guineas as a yearling. She was bred at Sledmere, and while several of the yearlings that year sold for four-figure sums, this daughter of Charles O'Malley and Dodragh was one for whom there was very little competition. One recalls that of the Sledmere yearlings that season (1916 the filly by Spearmint--Venciation II. made 4,000 guineas Nothing has since been heard of her. The colt by Sunstar Stolen has, made 3,000 guineas. he became known as Somme Kiss, and as a threeyear-old this season he at any rate won the New. market Stakes. Then the filly by Neil GowAida made 1,350 guineas. She was named Her-self, and she has won races, while at one time: she was actually favorite for this Cambridgeshire, which. Zinovia has won. I merely mention these things to emphasise the ups and downs of the yearling gamble, and to show once more that the low-priced one often does far better than the high-priced one. It has always been thus; yearling defy the best judges to divine their ultimate

value as racehorses.

There is not much to say about the rest of the racing. The Middle Park Plate winner, Ste-len the Great, did not run for the Dewhurst Plate, which fell by a short head to Knight of Blyth. I do not thank a really high-class two-year-old ran at the meeting. Buchan, who in the middle of the season was thought to be the best, was

beaten for the Criterion Stakes, and Polygnotus. could not quite concede 22 lb. to Sir A. Bailey's, Gipsy Lad for the Free Handicap. Still, both I those coins are quite good ones -without being 1 sorospeerave champions. Mr. S. B. Joel, whose. horses have won a lot of "races- during this at- I tenuated season, was expected to flnixOi up well, i and ran a. number of greatly fancied ones. Yet

he could not win. a race, which meant disaster to the followers of the stable and the leading; jockey, Donoghue. Next week it will not be

without interest to touch on some outstanding features of the season now closed.

NEW LAURELS.

The pilot who accompanied Prince Albert to France was, I hear. Major Louis Greig, who in the dan takes the war in a famous Scottish

Rugby footballer. Originally in the navy; Mr jar Greig transferred to the air service, awl, Ilka Prince Albert, is attached to the Independent Force,- which is responsible for the bombing attacks on Germany. A half-back, Greig's great match was against the all-conquering New Zealanders at Inverleith. The "All Blacks," it will be recalled, played three half-backs; or, rather, two halves and what was called at five-eighth. To deal with this novel formation, which had domoralised the Etcreotyped./cixt-and-dried tactics of most British teams. Scotland decided to play Gallagher's men at their own game. A man was sacrificed for the scrimmage, with what misgivings will be appreciated, for Scotland has always placed supreme faith in her dear, hard working forwards, and Greig was chosen to play behind the pack with 'Pat Munro and the late Dr. Simson. Those counter-action did not succeed in breaking the New Zealanders' wonderful sequence of victories, but Greig came out of the men tell with distinc-tion. An old Glasgow Academy by, the, airman played for Scotland on five occasions, whilst he

I was also a member of the United Services fleeces

A PRISONERS' CLUB.

A new club has come into existence, and it the per ha jw, the most exclusive in the world. Its members, who dine together from time to time, comprise those officers who have escaped from captivity in Germany or other enemy countries. At present the membership numbers 41. The founder of the club is Major C. V. Fox, D.S.O., an "old contempt, ble," who was confined in Ger-many for two years and ten months. He only made his escape at the fifth attempt,' and then )?. had to walk 185 miles to the Dutch frontier before he was free.. Major Fox is a distinguished sportsman. One recalls how in 1900 he entered for the Wingfield Sculls as an unknown waterman, and beat B. H. Howell, who had won the race to its previously, and H. T. Blackstaffe. At the time this performance was looked on as something like a fluke, but in the following summer he entered for the Diamonds at Henley and was successful in convincing style. Curiously enough, one "of Major Fox's fellow prisoners in Germany was Tom Sullivan, the famous professional sculler, who trained him for these two races. He is a big man, of florid appearance, hence his nickname, "Brewer" Fox. in training for his rates he had no war-like a horse,. for, in Sullivan's words, he was always inclined to wear a Christmas pudding; figure.

EMPIRE BOXERS.

To an extent even greater than our own, the American authorities realise the value and importance of athletics in the training of both naval and army men. Since Admiral Sims has been in command of U.S. naval forces in European waters he has lent his support to all forms of sport He has been a regular attendant at the baseball match and he has missed very few of the boxing "nights" at, the National Sporting Club. Now he is giving his help in promoting a British Empire and American service boxing; tournament, which is to be held in December at the Albert Hall. He has invited the Great Lakes Naval Training Station to send boxers at different weights to compete with men from the ships at present on this side of the Atlantic. This tournament promises to be one of the great sporting events of the war. The British Navy and Army, the Air Force, Australian, Canadian, New Zealand, and South, African Forces, and the United States Navy and Army will each be represented by teams of eight, making a total of 72 competitors, at the different weights, and the winning team will receive a specially designed trophy, the gift of the King. In addition each member of the winning team will be presented with a souvenir. The British army will play a successful part if such men as Wells Basham, and Summers enter. , Comparatively few of America's best boxers have joined up, and those who are in uniform are serving as gymnastic instructors in the training camps at home, but there are one or two good men on this side. Canada, too, will be well represented.

FOOTBALL.

A notable event in first-class football in the completion by Mr. Meredith of 24 years as an outside right. On October 26, 1891, as a youngster of 18, straight from Wales, he joined Manchester City "The club was then in the second division of the league, and it was the first sea-son of the Manchester City Club under that name. Previously they had been known as Ardwick. Yet in October, 1918, Meredith is still playing with the City Club, and, what is more can hold his own with most of the right wings of the day. He has not been in continuous service with the City, but he has played football for 24 seasons in Manchester, as when he left

the City he joined the theater. He has helped I both clubs to win the English Cup, and has played in 46 international matches for Wales. He would have reached the half century mark but for the war. Now Meredith, with his curious slouching ran. is helping the City for the duration in a very effective way and the club, with six victories out of nine matches, stands fourth in the Lancashire competition. Pride, of place is held by Everton, who, to justify their' distinction, went all out to beat last season's champions. Stokes, and succeeded in a very convincing way. Everton now are the only un-beaten club in the three competitions, for whilst they were scoring five goals Notts Forest were

losing to Bradford City. The' Forest, however... still lead in the Midlands, and have one more

point to their credit than the other Notts club,the County. Their clever forward. Tinsley, could not leave his work in time to make the journey to Bradford, so he assisted the County and scored two goals. Crystal Palace continue to surprise everybody in London. They are a fine workmanlike side, who are not troubled by any

"star" who needs to be spoon fed with chances, ' but so far their matches have been easy, and' though they head the table, they have yet to prove that they are the best team.