SPORTING INTELLIGENCE.

Evening Star, Issue 7420, 16 January 1888, Page 2

SPORTING INTELLIGENCE.

The death is announced in India of the unlucky Despot. The annual meeting o! members of the Dunedin Jockey Club will b<» held thU evening, when the following report will be aubmittod i—"Tho Committee have the honor to aubmit their report and balanos. sheet for the year ending 81st December, 1887, and are pleased to lay that, notwithstanding the decrease in the Club's revenue during the year, they have been able, after meeting all current engagements and effecting the necessary repairs and improvements to the Club's property, to reduoe the liabilities by a sum of L 450 Is 9d. Your Committeo took the precaution in making up the programme for the present racing Season < io affect such a reduction in the added moneys to be given at the various meetings as would leave a reasonable margin for a falling off in the Club's revenue without materially affecting the quality of the racing; but from the returns of the spring meeting they are in hopes that the precaution may turn out to have been unnecessary." The balance-sheet shows that the receipts for the year amounted to LI 1,973 Os lOd, and the expenditure (including interest, cost of improvements, etc.) to L 12.400. 6s 3d. The liabilities amount to L 28.162 15s, and the assets to L 26.625 5s 7d, as follow: Liabilities: Porbury Park Company—purchase money, due 1901, L 28.000; Champagne Stakes, 1888, L 42 ; sundry creditors, L 9 5; distressed jockeys' fund, L 25 15s ; —total, L 28.162 15s. Assets: Freehold property, L 20.000 ; buildings, L 4.000 ; stock, L 800; sundry debtors, L 152 lis; Bank of New Zealand—fixed deposit, L 2.100, less overdraft of L 427 53 5d ; total, L 26.625 5s 7d. St. Clair "picked up" a ndil while walking home after doing a gallop at the Forbury yesterday, and will have to be eased in his work for a few days, but it is not anticipated that the mishap will interfere materially with bis preparation. The s.B. Fifeshirfe brought a consignment of four Clydesdale horses for Mr John Reid, of Elderslie. They consist of two two-year-old fillies, one entire colt eighteen months old (Prince Albert Victor), and a four-year-old mare (Princess). These animals were all got by the famous Clydesdale entire Prince of Wales. The mare is in foal to Blantyre Chief, another famous possessing an enormous pedigree. In 1885 this mare was shown as a three-year-old, and obtained first at Paisley, first at Bishoptown, and second at Maryhill. All four animals are considered to be very pure, and are all entered in the ' Select Clydesdale Stud Book' as such. On the vessel the animals were accommodated with padded boxes, built large enough for them to turn right round in; and the long passage and rough weather has in no way affected the valuable freight. There may be something in prize-fighting after all, and it may prove a means to an end. The 'Feilding Star' asserts that Harry Laing is so popular among the Natives just now that if there was a vacancy in the West Coast Maori electorate he would have M.H.R. after his name in the twinkling of an eye. Despite the opposition of the Victorian Football Association, it is Lillywhite's intention to bring out a team of English footballers, and they will play club matches there if unable to arrange for a combined team. The team will visit New Zealand at the commencement of the winter, and will pay another visit to the Colony towards the end of the winter months. Lilly white and Shrewsbury will not accompany the team to New Zealand. They both complain that the terms offered by the cricketers and footballers are not sufficient to make the trip a remunerative one.

Bicycling is an amusement that is growing in the public estimation, and it was no doubt in the expectation of seeing something good (says the ' North Otago Times') that a large crowd ot people assembled on the Show Ground last evening to witness a match, for 10s a-side and the championship of the Southern Hemisphere, between two bicyclists, who, judging from their physique, stood in the same relationship to ordinary mankind as did David to Goliath, or, to be more correct, as did David's sling to the gisnt of Gath. The race was announced for 7.30, but in order not to hurry the competitors, they were sent on their journey a quarter of an hour before that time. The distance was one mile, and the more transparent of the two young men—if there was any difference between them—gave the other a lap advantage. The track or the bicycles were heavy, for although it was evident that every effort was being put forth, but little progress was made, and the race was more remarkable for the " wobbling " about of the competitors than for the speed they made. To the encouraging cries of " put it on," the only response was, perhaps, increased " wobbling." It may be remarked that the lap-scorers—and everyone seemed to be engaged in this part of the amusement—persuaded the competitors to continue running two or thicc laps more than was necessary. The championship of the Soushern Hemisphere and 103 went to the man who had the benefit of the handicap. At the conclusion of the race both competitors were carried shoulder high—one with a portion of a petticoat dangling from his back, and the other with rather an ancient rat. The crowd persuaded the competitors to do another mile (level). The only remarkable features of this race were the impossibility of either competitor keeping the inside running, and two spills that one sustained. The outside of the track was made as much use of in the race as the inside, and both competitors were freely saturated with water from a kerosene tin. There was great cheering, and much amusement. The competitor who met with the two falls came in with a very dirty face, and he was considerately carried by a few friends to the water-trough, and had the cinders and dust washed off by kind hands. The time for both races was taken by a Waterbury watch, but owing to the timepiece not having been wound up since morning the owner could come no nearer than " five or ten minutes." There were a large number of bicyclists present to witness the contest. No event that has taken place on the Show Ground has created half tbe fun and enjoyment that the race of last night did.