LITTLE FORM TO GUIDE

NZ Truth, Issue 1174, 31 May 1928, Page 11

LITTLE FORM TO GUIDE

Big Field At Wingatui Mas Them In Quandary (From "N.Z. Truth's". Special Dunedin Representative.) The Birthday Handicap, the chief flat event on the opening day of the Dunedin meeting, is one of those real problems so often confronted.

WHILE it is generally conceded that the club would do better if it re- . duced this race from twelve furlongs to a mile and a-quarter, no fault can be found with this year's field of eleven. The task set the speculator is to select the winner from a field, none of which *has winning form over the distance. The public will be guided by the fact

ItMwmmmmwimwimMmiwmiuMwiiutmmimiiiimmmmmmwmww

iiiiiriiiitiiiiiiiiMiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiitiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiuiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii that of the last fourteen Birthday Handicaps, Southland horses have had their number hoisted on eleven occasions. ■'■•-, They hold a strong hand m this /ear's handicap, with . Bilbo, and Queen Jalboa. :, 'Black Mint is the lonesome North (•slander m the field and he looks the host likely to interrupt the sequence >f Southland successes. -•'■' The Catmint gelding has been under i cloud for some time, hut now that his

ownership is definitely decided he can be depended upon to see out a solidly run mile and a-half. jthe roomy course and long straight will sujt him. Taboo was withdrawn from the Winter Handicap, and if the course is very' heavy he. will have his following. He handles the mud better than any horse m the south. , He is also m the sprint and will most likely start m the latter event. Overhaul must be taken on chance at the distance, but he has been given a lot of distance work m his preparation and he looks bright and well. His form over ten furlongs is good and he should see the other two furlongs out all right. In his last two starts Bilbo has fallen, but on both occasions he was running on. - , His summer form m the south was good and, being a Greyspear, he should have no' difficulty m seeing out the journey with 7.11. , Whin his third m the New Zealand Cup and his immediate subsequent form is taken into account, Overdrawn looks well treated at three pounds over the minimum. It Would not be surprising to see him go out favorite. • His form m the summer, however, indicated that he had seen enough at the end of a mile. ' • ■ . Fresco and Apache have to be taken on sufferance at Vhis distance, while Tintoretto and King Sol on the minimum do not appeal. Most of. them will have the stitch before the judge hoves m sight, but those likely to be there at the death are: ' BLACK MINT, , OVERHAUL and '■' BILBO.