Summary

This doubles chart was issued by an unknown bookmaker (possibly George Lyons) to his regular clients to promote the various odds offered on different pairs of horses to win both the 1930 Caulfield and Melbourne Cups. The chart shows Phar Lap running in both races, although he was controversially scratched from the Caulfield Cup just before the race began.

Mr. Michael Eskander, the leading rails bookmaker, advises that:
1) The G.L. may refer to George Lyons, a former bookmaker
2) The line at the bottom, 'Special - Amounis and Phar Lap 20 to 1', indicates that the bookmakers were holding too much money on this combination and were trying to dodge further bets at 25/1.
3) That similar sheets using similar language are sent to clients/punters to this day.

Physical Description

A large sheet of off-white paper. presented in a landscape format, printed on both sides with criss-crossing line and extensive black text, surrounded by a black decorative border. There are several folds present in the paper.

Significance

This Doubles Chart ia an important artefact relating to two of the key chapters in Phar Lap's short life. It has close relevance to the last-minute scratching of Phar Lap by Telford in the Caulfield Cup, which elicited howls of condemnation from the public. It also relates to the attempt to shoot Phar Lap, given that it suggests that bookmakers were holding a fortune on Amounis-Phar Lap to win the double.

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