THE races were canned, the water flowed freely through the Port Macquarie touch football clubhouse and this weekend’s last round of local cricket is in jeopardy as the aftermath of the deluge continues to be felt.
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Another two inches of rain at the Port Macquarie Race Club on Monday morning put an end to hopes of a meeting yesterday. Stewards inspected the track on Sunday, and held out some hope, but race club chief executive officer Michael Bowman said all the hope washed away the next day.
“We thought there was a chance [of racing] with a decent day today [Monday],” Bowman said.
“I’m not surprised [it’s off].”
Bowman said he had the windsceen wipers on “full bore” driving to work at 7.30am Monday.
“And I still couldn’t see,” he said.
“And to get that on top of what we already had. We’ve had about eight inches in total.”
The closed roads around Port Macquarie would have made it hard for out-of-town horses to get to the meeting.
Bowman said it was a shame trainers and jockeys would lose out over another postponed meeting.
He said it would be difficult to reschedule, too.
“It’s unlikely it will be run,” Bowman said.
Port touch has felt the full force of the deluge for the second time in three years.
Almost a metre of water went through the Tuffins Lane clubhouse.
Port touch president Chris Veech was down-hearted about the sodden facilities.
He didn’t want to comment on the damage without seeing it himself. That was due to happen after today.
Veech said it brought back memories from the last major flood in Port Macquarie. The organisation lost priceless memorabilia that time around, a lot of it old Port News articles and photos.
Veech had moved the files from his house to Tuffins Lane.
“If I hadn’t been so diligent [it would still be here],” he said.
“Being paper, it was gone.”
Cricket players could find themselves off for another round this weekend, with local matches under threat. A Port Macquarie-Hastings Council spokesman said the fields would be closed until at least tomorrow, before being re-assessed.
If Saturday cricket is off, first grade teams like Camden Haven and Comboyne will have played their last games for the season.
In first grade, Port City Leagues Magpies are due to take on Wauchope RSL at Oxley Oval, Camden Haven face Comboyne at Laurieton Oval and Macquarie Hotel will do battle with Port Panthers Pirates at Wayne Richards Park.
For news about the status of our sporting fields, head to council’s website at www.pmhc.nsw.gov.au/sportsfieldclosures