Fist Day, Wednesday, 25th February, 1885.
It is w long time since the great sporting event of the year in this opened 40 inwuspiciously we it has dons this yew.
your things looked quite bad enough, wretched state, and pletely out-He ber to have w for a race meeting as the day's proceedings turned out. Incessunt rain and the absence of sun for days before had reduced the rae ty a condition which drove th who have tuk psing to bring it i good condition to the deepest despair, and the day before, there was " meeting held to consider the advisability of postponing ing. For reasons which appear to cons eng not neither pleasure exorpt thers who got Jd of " lot of outsiders in the sweopa, ne of which apleshed slong the dirty course like mudlarke, and boat better ponies than themselves!
Stewards were:—His Excellency F. Bowen, G.C.M.G.; His Excel-Jeney Vice-Admiral Sir W. M. Dowell, C.CB.; His Excellency Lient.-General Surgent-General Sargent, C.B,; Commo-dare J. Digby Mormt, R.N.; Colonel Walker, R.E.; Lieut-Colonel Crawford, RA.; Lient.-Colonel Graves, The Buffs the Hon, P. Ryrie; the Hon. W. Keswick the Hon, 'I. "Jackson; the Hon. F. Snssvon; Messrs. W LIF. Darby, J. Beil-Irving, M. Grote, H. Hoppine, Forbes, G. 6 Noble, A. Coxon, Chater, and J. Grant; Mr. J. Thurburn, Honorary Trensmer; Mr, H. J. U. Tripp, Clerk of the Cour-e: Mrjor Hamilton and Mr. Grant acted as Starters, Mr. W. H. Forbes, and Mr. A. Coxon, Judges; and
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.