CAULFIELD CUP

Evening Post, Volume CXXVIII, Issue 105, 31 October 1939, Page 13

CAULFIELD CUP

RESPIRATOR UNLUCKY

(From "Vedette.")

MELBOURNE, October 23

Rivette., a six-year-old mare carrying 7.2, started favourite for and won the Caulfield Cup, a race that was spoiled by the size of the field and a number of the outclassed candidates falling back and causing interference. Although full predit must be given to Rivette, close observers of the race and jockeys consider that J. T. Jamieson's Windbag four-year-old Respirator should have won by a clear margin. Rivette had mixed fortune, losing a, good position early, but she then obtained a run from the half-mile, was able to go through the. gaps in the field, ana won with a determined run. She is owned and trained by her breeder, H. Bamber, who raced her dam Riv under pony rules, the success being easily the greatest in Bamber's career. Similarly, E. Preston, who rode her, had not previously succeeded in any race more important than the Maribyrnong Plate. Respirator's third placing impressed to such a degree that automatically he became the Melbourne Cup favourite, in which race he will carry 8.6 as against 8.7 in the Caulfield Cup. An outside barrier position contributed to his defeat but his bugbear really was the three-year-old Wilson, who cut across him twice during the running, the second occasion being on the home turn. Despite the war conditions the Caulfield Cup crowd, estimated at 67,500, was the largest at a V..A.T.C. Meeting and the totalisator investments,. £103,972, were also a record. Racing attendances have been maintained in an extraordinary way since the outbreak of hostilities, in Europe, and as there were few inter-State visitors at Caulfield and many have booked for the V.R.C. Meeting the Melbourne Cup figures also should be;of, record dimensions. ■■■'';■ ■ ~ . .. •■. ■ „'I Gold' Salute won his first race for his Australian owner, Mr. A. E. Cooped, in the first division of the Burwood Handicap at Caulfield, a race confined 'to three-year-olds and in which he carried the top weight, 9.7. He won very easily and satisfied his owner that he was worth his purchase price, which now is reported to be £7000, of which £6000 was paid direct and £1000 was invested on Gold Salute in the A.J.C. Derby. : ' Gold Salute won very, impressively, beating his opponents in a stride, but, as the runner-up,; Muscari, is still a maiden, Gold Salute has a Jong t way to go yet to prove, himself t-op class, although his owner has expressed'himself publicly as willing to back Gold Salute to /beat High Caste at even weights at any distance from one furlong to five miles, either on the track or in a race. The reply from the connections of High Caste .was that Mr. Cooper could back his colt to beat High Caste in the Cropper Plate _at Moonee Valley—if he" wanted to^CjN.B,: i Gold Salute ran second and High, paste. unplaced.) ~ ' ... . M McCarten has been ridmg with no luck at all throughout the spring, and was beaten into second place in two of the two-year-old races at Caufnela, in one of which he was a little unlucky and lodged a protest. He.was riding P. Riddle's filly Applause and; E. Bartle's 'mount Pasal ran in .• and crowded him. There was some slight ground for the objection, but McCarten was unable -to prove his case to the stewards, and. the judge's, placing^ The meeting at" ftandwick on Satur-- • day was one originally set down for Warwick Farm, but as that course has been taken over by the mjjitary authorities all [Warwick Fapm -'meetings shave been transferred" to" Band-