Caulfield and Flemington.

Wairarapa Times-Age, 28 November 1940, Page 3

Caulfield and Flemington.

A Sydney paper reports that, beginning with the opening of the V.A.T.C. Caulfield Cup meeting, horses owned in other States was £42,600 in stakes, and of that amount £22,670 went to horses from Sydney stables and £Bl4O to horses owned in New Zealand. Melbourne racing men admitted that the class of their horses racing there this spring was low. When Ajax went into temporary retirement, there was not a horse left to measure strides with the visitors. Sydney bookmakers built up the strength of the betting ring. Despite the war, betting increased in volume and Sydney bookmakers found no difficulty in holding £2OOO and more on any of the minor races. Totalisator investments on Melbourne Cup day were a record. Investments for the four days totalled £258,052 15s, which was only £362 10s below the record established at the 1938 meeting. Nightcalm. Last season Nightcalm started 13 times for one win, four seconds and two thirds. In October he won at the Banks Peninsula meeting, he was third with 8.10 in the Criterion Handicap to Lady Leigh 7.5 and Mischna 8.1 in 1 min. 25 l-ssecs., second at Oamaru with 3.13 to The Wrecker 7.0 in Imin. 26 l-ssecs„ second in the Craven Plate with 8.12 to Concertpitch 8.8 in Imin. 26secs., third in the Templeton Handicap with 8.7 to Spanish Lad 8.10 and Rakahanga 7.10 in Imin. 26secs., second to Strip 8.8 at Oamaru with 8.13 in Imin. 26 4-ssecs., and second to Petersham at. the same meeting. This season Nightcalm has been unplaced three times, but a return to form would make him dangerous at Invercargill.