FREE-FOR-ALL STAKES

NZ Truth, Issue 1145, 10 November 1927, Page 12

FREE-FOR-ALL STAKES

Great Bingen and Native Chief Are In Form

(By "The Toff.")

One of the gems of the spring fixture of the New Zealand Met ropolitan Trotting Club is the Free-for-All Stakes, which brings to gether the pick of the horses m commission.

IT ia worth 650sovs. and is run over a mile journey." Of the 12 entries about half that number will go to the post. That 1 will be ample to provide a thrill that will 'make- the. public "realize the advancement the horse end of the game-is making. Everybody regards the race as a benefit for Great Bingen. To the average racegoer it is, but a / few know that if Native Chief left the mark quickly he might trim Great Bingen. Native Chief has a terrific turn of speed and is able to break the existing mile record for Australasia. Hence it_ is no certainty for Great Bingen, for though there is an "if" m Native Chief's composition, there is always the possibility of him beginning correctly, which would surely cause the crowds to leave their seats on the stands m their excitement to witness a stirring, : hair-raising jsontest. j ■ '■;■■;,• 'It is not expected that Bonny Logan (2.7 3/5) will down Great Birigen'; nor is any of the other candidates likely to beat him. . '

It is said that Prince Pointer is . next door to a flying machine, but most money will be on Great Biiigen. : Acron has beaten him on a previous occasion, and if he went a true race he would trouble his rival. But as Great Bingen and, Acron will be coupled, the troubles of speculators are thus ended. And so it would seem that there is a possibility' of Native Chief 'and Acron making a race of it with Great Bingen, but when the public get busy they will go for the real horse — Great Bingen. When Tranquil shied and fell during -a work-out at Epsom last week, W. Wilson suffered a broken leg. Tranquil was accompanied by Lord Nepean m the bout, and the latter went ,over the top of Tranquil when she fell. Lord Nepean's driver got off with a shaking. • /# # * Coldwater is m work again under his old pilot, Bob Reed.