SPORTING NOTES FROM NEW SOUTH WALES.

Otago Witness, Issue 1856, 17 June 1887, Page 24

SPORTING NOTES FROM NEW SOUTH WALES.

(By Our Australian Sporting Corbesi pondent "warrior.") Sydney, Tuesday, June 6. TOWN TALK AND TABLE CHAT. We have had incessant rain in our city for the past eight days, causing any amount of racing clubs to postpone their meetings.' Last Saturday week the Sydney Turf Club intended holding a day's sport for amateur riders only, but the elements' were against them, and they postponed the meeting until Wednesday. The rain still kept pouring down in torrents, and Friday was fixed, the day before the Grand National Steeplechase gathering. But they were again disappointed, the racecourse being inundated with water, and the rain falling heavily. Both Tattersall's Racing Club and the Sydney Turf Club met at the offices of the A. J.O. on Friday last, and they decided upon holding their meetingson Friday and Saturday next. Serious Damage to Band wick Racecourse. — During the afternoon of Thursday, between the hours of • 3 and< 5, pedestrians were unable' to make any headway from the racecourse gates to Cutts' corner, the Randwick and Cobjee road being impassable through the flood waters rushing across the main road and footpath to the depth of one and two feet. From the Racecourse Hotel to the tramway entrance to the course was one' broad sheet of water. There was but one outlet 'for tbr. fun's of water that was sweeping down from the. tramway sheds and workshops, 1 namely, through Messrs Tom Brown and Taylor's property to the road and thence to the Randwick racecou <•«■'. "Warrior" and "Beacon," of the Syduey Evening Globe,' when the flood-water was at its height, visited several dangerous spots along the boundary fence of the course, which has 'only recently had an 18in barbed wire fixed on 1 the top of it, so as to prevent morning touts' and others climbing over. II 11I 1 found opposite, Tom' Taylor's Racecourse Hotel' the earth and part* of the footpath almost swept away from underneath the fence, leaving large holes 4ft deep, and "gallons of water finding its way on f to the course. Lower down towards' the 'south-oast side' of the racecourse tramline 'platform,' the , greatest amount of damage was found to have taken place. For a distance of 15ft the A.J.C. boundary fence was really gutted,' f oaf or five" tons' of solid earth being washed completely away" from underneath the fence, just leaving the posts tottering, the barbed wire preventing the whole concern from tumbling down. Opposite Cutts' corner, the five and three furlong post, the course proper was fully 2ft underwater. ' , '

Mr T. M. Alcock, for many years connected with the Austiralian Jockey Club", as official timekeeper {for all races' i'«n at Randwick, ' I am sorry to say,' 'through some ' misunderstanding with the club; has resigned his position, i There have been no gallops at 'Randwick for the last six days. The A. J.C. Works Committee, in consequence of the heavy rain experienced for such a length of time, deemed it advisable to close up the sand and tan tracks till the weather cleared up. , Wr T. S. Clibborn, the secretary, informed me that this was the first time for 14 years that the course had been closed to trainers. Now that fine weather has set in the ' rising three-year-olds may have a chance of displaying themselves. i Mr John Mayo's'Hawkesbury Autumn Handicap winner, Stanley, by Grandmaster, out of

Psyche, has been sold', privately 1 ' by 4t Messrg Yuille and Co., of Melbourne. ,' Stanley, who is "only- 'a' five-year-old, "it is supposed,' has been purchased for India. , , ' ' " "!) *'*' 1 1 The " coach "of the yictorian'eight-oarcrew, Mr George Upward, informed me when in Sydney, that Mr Stephen Fairb'aifn, who rowed No. 5 in" the Cambridge boat in* their recent victory over Oxford, had been chosen one of the Cambridge 'Varsity' eight' to |»d over'lto America after the amateur boat ., racing.; season in.- England, to meet Harvard University 4 . in^a' -match. Mr S. Fairbairn is an Australian, having been born >at > Geelongj Victoria, ■ where ' ; his father resides. .. , t , „_,l „ d ln New t South Wales centennial , year, should bring together in Sydney some of the best talent in the world' in their line, 1 Messrs : Gaudaar, Hanlan, Wallace Ross, Bubear, and Perkins, the representatives of the acquatic .world on the other side of the equator.; J. L. Sullivan (the demon slugger), of America, and , Charley Mitchell and Jem Smith' two of the best men in England,- all three champion boxers, have signified their intention' of' visiting Australia 1 in August next.' We only want Merry Hampton and The Baron out here to measure strides with Trenton,' Trident, and Nelson,, and Peall, the billiardist, and we can die in peace.' '■ > • - Word* comes from Melbourne that the- following football matches were decided on Saturday :— Geelong (7 goals 8 behinds) v^ Melbourne (4 goals 7 behinds) ; Hotham (3 goals 6 behinds) v. Essendon.(3 "goals 4 behinds); South Melbourne (3 goals 11 behinds) v. Fitzroy (3 goals 3 bebjnds) ; Carlton (4 goals 12 behinds) w Sandridge. (2 goals 7 behinds) ; Williamstown (5 goals 6 .behinds) .■ v. 1 Richmond (4 goals) { ! South Australia, Adelaide (3 goals 7 behinds) v. South Ballarat (2 goals 7 behinds) ; South Williamstowa (4 goals, 6 behinds) v. University "( 2 goals 7 behinds). > - ■ - , ' • • ••, , ;■> The i Hon. W. A. Long intends bidding high for another Grand Flaneur, according, to his recent purchase <in Melbourne of the brood mares Olga, by Pisaator, out of Beatrice ; Squib, by Piscator — Cracker ; Telescope, by Piscator — Lady Spec; Utopia, by Robinson Crusoe — Radiance. ', ' . . Mr-L. E: Myers, the American champion, ran in the Sir Joseph Banks' Half-mile Handicap, at Botany, yesterday, and won his heat on scratch, in 2min l|sec. He failed to secure a place in the final, won by T. Laurence (36yds). • H. Fredericks (4yds), Myers' trainer, ran second ; and T. L. Griffiths (15yds), third. Time, 2min l-ssec. The liberal prizes offered by the Victoria Racing Club have not only attracted attention in New Zealand and the Australian colonies, but as far as .India. ; Among the entries for the Melbourne Cup and Champion Race include the name of his Highness the Maharajah of Durbhungah's English-bred horse Metal.- ■ ' On Saturday last Con Dwyer defeated Bennett in the three mile bicycle race, but before the day was over Bennett turned the tables by winning the ten-mile race,- beating, after a close finish, Dwyer, by six feet. The times were:-r-lst mile, 4min 31sec; 3rd mile, 12tnin <34seo; 4th mile, 16min 35sec ; sth mile; 23min 52seo ; 7th mile» 29min20seo; Bth mile,33min 43sec; 9th mile, 38min 12seo ; 10th mile, 42miri 13 3-sthsec.