A FRENCH TRIUMPH

Evening Post, Volume CXXVII, Issue 132, 7 June 1939, Page 15

A FRENCH TRIUMPH

ANTONYM'S FINE RECORD

(By Air Mail, from "The Post's" London Representative.) LONDON, May 3. Last' week two important English races went to France. Following the success of Tricameron in the Dee Stakes at Chester on Thursday, Antonym took the Kempton Park Great Jubilee Handicap on Saturday. Mr. H. M. Holbert, the owner of Antonym, is a Dutch newspaper proprietor. Antonym, who carried 9.2, is oy Vatout. He is one of the best four-year-olds in France, and has won some two and a half million francs, including the equivalent of German money. He is a horse of great courage, and puts every bit of it into his races. A FREE TRAVELLER. Few horses have vi-avelled more or with greater success than Antonym has. He is a winner of the Grand Prix de Brussels, the Brown Band of Munich, and the Grand Prize of the capital of the Reich, in Berlin. He won the Grand Prix de Nice before visiting Germany, and finished second to Hestia II this winter in the same race, giving her 191b when carrying 9.13. However, he was disqualified for second place, being placed third for not keeping his line at the finish. For the English race, evei. those who knew most about the horse feared that Histolfi, winner of the City and Sub-1 urban, would be too good for the visitor.

The "Sporting Life" remarks: 'It looked as though Harry Wragg had planned beforehand that he would ride Bistolfi as at Epsom. That was- to slip the colt oil in front, give him an 'easy' rounding the bend, allow him to get his second wind, and then make the best of his way home. He had his plan frustrated by Gordon Richards, who sent Domaha past Bistolfi before half-way, with the result that every horse was racing in 'top gear' before the straight was reached. A furlong in the straight it appeared that Domaha had only to keep up the pressure to come home alone. He was a winner at a mile, and, though Gordon took a pull and gave him every chance, Pappageno II drew level a furlong out.

"Just as the Ogbourne horse appeared to have the race in safe keeping Antonym bore down and, putting in the stoutest work imaginable, travelled so fast in the last furlong as to put three lengths between himself and Mr. George Hartigan's horse.

"After his deeds on the Continent the handicapper would have been justified had he given Antonym 9.7. but, even then, the colt would have won. He made a profound impression on me."

The going was heavy and all against a weight-carrying performance, but as soon as A. Tucker asked his mount to go forward the topweight responded in no half-hearted manner. Bistolfi was fourth. HANDSOME RETURN. It so happened that Antonym formed the first leg of the daily tote double, and those who were fortunate so far scanned their cards to anticipate the judge's verdict for the second leg, which is always the fifth race. Happy hazard favoured nine people of the thousands present, and each one of the nine received a dividend of £542 10s for a 10s stake! It so happens that it was a horse owned by a New Zealandcr, Captain D. Petrie Simson, of Christchurdh. who completed a wonderful "entente cordiale" double. It was his ten-year-old Spion Kqp mare Empire Unity, ridden by D. Smith, who clinched the double.

One of the most excited people was a young visitor in the members' stand who, having been lucky with Antonym, searched to complete the double and decided to have Empire Unity as appropriate to their Majesties' visit to Canada! That's the way to make money at racing.

This race, the Bendigo Plate, is over 7 furlongs, and Empire Unity, who was bred at the National Stud and is trained at West Horsley by Captain A. B. Holland, won by four lengths in a field of eighteen. She was one of the outsiders. The tote pool for the two races was £5743 10s.