THE RAILWAY HANDICAP.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Issue 1439, 22 November 1917, Page 21

THE RAILWAY HANDICAP.

While Mr. Macmanemn regards Estland and Desert Gold equal class in a two-mile handicap at 101 b. over w.f.a., and Vagabond at within 61b. of that pair, he has made it clear that he regards Desert Gold as a great sprinter by placing her 241 b. above w.f.a. in the Railway Handicap, in wh ch, however, he has treated the four-year-old gelding Form Up and Menelaus at 101 b. and 81b. better than w.f.a. They can both sprint well. The thought arises as to where he would have placed Biplane and Estland in this race had they been entered, not to ask where Biplane would have been placed had he been entered in the Cup. Biplane must have had a load, but in running over the list we come to the name of his rival of last season, Hymestra, with 8.6, and further down that of Simonides (now a gelding) with 8.0, and it makes us pause, because neither are treated as the classy colts they undoubtedly were. Leaving Desert Gold out of consideration for the moment, can anyone defend the weight adjuster for classing these colts below Form Up and Menelaus as w.f.a. propositions, and so little above those of