Phar Lap didn't always look like a champion. Born in Timaru, he was sold for a bargain price of 160 guineas (roughly less than $400.00). When he arrived in Australia, his new owner, American-born David J. Davis, was not very impressed with him. He was skinny and clumsy with warts all over his head. Davis was angry with trainer Telford, who had persuaded him to put up the money to buy the horse. He didn't want to waste any more money to pay for its training, so he leased the horse to Telford for the next three years. Telford for the next three years. Telford would pay to feed and train the horse and keep any prize money he won. The trainer, who knew a great deal about racehorse pedigrees, was certain that, with Phar Lap's breeding, he would become a champion.

Although he was named Phar Lap, a Thai phrase meaning 'wink of the skies' or 'lightning,' around the stables the horse was known as Bobby. Tom Woodcock, a young stable boy, became Phar Lap's main attendant. Phar Lap was docile and lazy and like to play tricks on Woodcock. Soon he became so fond of the stable boy that he would not eat unless Woodcock was in his stall with him. Phar Lap's racing career began in 1929. It was the beginning of the Great Depression in Australia and many other countries. As prices for Australian produces such as wool and wheat began to fall, many farmers and businesses began to lose money. Industries collapsed putting more than one quarter of Australia's workers out of work by 1932. Many people could not pay their rent and were evicted from their houses.

Unlike today, there were no cash unemployment benefits. The 'dole' consisted of food rations often given to men who worked on special government projects, such as making roads. To many people is was humiliating and depressing to be unemployed and receive charity instead of wages. In such gloomy times Phar Lap stood out as a champion who seemed unbeatable, as well as a very reliable horse on which to place a bet.

Phar Lap was unplaced in his first four races in 1929. His first win was on April 27th at Rosehill near Sydney. After another four in which he was unplaced, he came in second in the Sydney Tattersails Chelmsford Stakes on September 14. From then on he was unplaced only once more - in the Melbourne Cup of 1931. Pharl Lap won some of the most prestigious races in Australia, including four in one week during the Spring Racind Carnival of 1930. From September 1929, he started as a favorite in all but one of his races.

Phar Lap was a big horse - 17 hands high - with powerful leg muscles and a strong heart, which after his death was discovered to be one of the largest ever found in a racehorse. His heart weighed 6.3 kg (around 13+ pounds). ALthough he was known as a stayer, a horse that performs well in races over a long distance, he was equally successful at sprint races.

The champion's success did not make him popular with everyone. because so many people put their money on Phar Lap, whenever he won the bookmakers had to pay a fortune. Someone tried to shoot the horse early on Derby Day, November 1, 1930 - possibly a bookmaker. As Tom Woodcock led him from the Caulfields Racecourse back to his stables after track work, a car pulled alongside them. Woodcock pushed Phar Lap against a fence, using himself and his pony horse as a shield as shots were fired from the car. Although the pony threw Woodcock, he managed to hold onto Phar Lap as the car sped away. Phar Lap was unhurt and went on to win the Melbourne Stakes at Flemington that day. The identity of the gunman was never discovered.

Three days later Phar Lap easily won the Melbourne Cup, even though his handicap of 62.5 kg meant he was carrying over 4 kg more than any other 4-year-old horse had ever carried in a Cup. In the 1931 Melbourne Cup he carried 68 kg. This proved to much for him and he finished eighth in his last Australian race.

His next race was the Agua Caliente Handicap at the Agua Celiente Jockey Club near Tijuana in Mexico. With Tom Woodcock as trainer, Phar Lap traveled to America by ship with his own exercise enclosure and sand box. Despite his long journey and a badly injured hoof, Phar Lap won the race, in record time for the track.

Phar Lap was resting at a private ranch near Menlo Park, California, while his owner, Davis negotiated further race appearances and even a series of films about Phal Lap. early on April 5, 1932, Woodcock found the horse looking ill. His temperature was above normal and he was in great pain. At midday Phar Lap hemmoraghed and died. Woodcock threw himself on the horse and cried.

Australians and Americans were stunned by the horse's death. An autopsy found that Phar Lap's intestines were inflamed, suggesting possible poisoning. Soon rumors were circulating that the champion had been deliberately poisoned. There have been several investigations into his death, even clear up to the lastest one in 1989. We will probably never find out what really happened. Many continue to believe that he was poisoned.

After Phar Lap's death, his heart was donated to the Institue of Anatomy (then the National Museum) in Canberra and his skeleton to the New Zealand National Museum in Wellington. Jonas Brothers, a New York taxidermy firm, mounted Phar Lap's hide over a shell to timber covered with roofing paper, burlap and sawdust. Pieces of cord were used to suggest Phar Lap's veins. Phar Lap arrived at the Museum of Victoria (formerly the National Museum) in 1933. He has left the museum only once since, during the Melbourne Cup week of 1980 when he returned to Flemington Racecourse fifty years after his own Cup win. Phar Lap has drawn millions of visitors to the museum, including Tm Woodcock, who donated several of his own mementos of the horse to the museum in 1979.

The Australian Society is building a new museum in Victoia where Phar Lap will have a pride of place in the year 2000. Like all Australians, the Museum of Victoria staff care about Phar Lap and his welfare. They hope to have him back on display as soon as possible. But there is a danger in moving him too many times, which could cause damage.

Phar Lap's hide was mounted 66 years ago and the internal structure could now be quite unstable. Expert museum staff will carefully assess Phar Lap to determine the risks involved in moving him to another display area. The museum must consider what is best for this national treasure in the short-term, so that he cane be appreciated by Austrailians for many years to come.

This information about Phar Lap was found on the Internet, thanks to the Australian Society and the Museum Victoria. There was a movie about him, "Phar Lap," produced in the 1980s, and he was a Breyer model too.

Question & Answer

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What horse had a huge heart weighing around 13 pounds?

Coming soon will be some articles on showing halter and performance. If you have any questions about showing, please write and we will get answers into this column and the articles will give you more of an in-depth look at the answer. So send in your questions!!! We need your help!!! Thanks

(Answers next newsletter.)

More Bits 'N' Pieces about real horses in the next newsletter.

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