Phar Lap (NZ)
October 4, 1926 – August 5, 1932
Night Raid (GB) x Entreaty (NZ), by Winkie (GB)
Family 2-r
October 4, 1926 – August 5, 1932
Night Raid (GB) x Entreaty (NZ), by Winkie (GB)
Family 2-r
Still considered one of the greatest horses ever raced in Australia, Phar Lap made such a deep impression in winning the Agua Caliente Handicap in Mexico that he became a legend in North America as well. His untimely death from what was probably a combination of bacterial infection and arsenic poisoning while recuperating from a tendon injury spawned persistent conspiracy theories implicating organized crime, a reasonable suspicion considering that the horse had been a target for similar elements while still in Australia. Laboratory findings released in 2008 indicated that the horse had ingested a massive dose of arsenic 30 to 40 hours prior to his death, but nothing more could be determined and the truth behind Phar Lap's death remains a mystery.
Race record
51 starts, 37 wins, 3 seconds, 2 thirds, US$301,402 (including converted foreign earnings)
1929:
1930:
1931:
1932:
Honors
Assessments
Phar Lap was ranked #22 among the top 100 American racehorses of the 20th century by an expert panel assembled by The Blood-Horse (Thoroughbred Champions, Eclipse Press, 7th printing, 2005).
As an individual
A red chestnut, Phar Lap stood 17.1 hands. He had a plain head but was blessed with virtually perfect conformation in his powerful hindquarters, the motor for his huge stride. He girthed an incredible 79 inches. His heart weighed 13.6 pounds, nearly twice the size of a normal Thoroughbred's. He had an exceedingly gentle disposition and was greatly attached to his groom, Tommy Woodcock, who later became his trainer.
Connections
Phar Lap was bred by Alick F. Roberts at Seadown Stud near Timaru, New Zealand. David J. Davis, a Russian-born American citizen, bought Phar Lap at the New Zealand yearling sales for 160 Australian guineas, equivalent to about US$800. Harry Telford, the gelding's trainer, leased him for his first three seasons of racing in Australia and became a joint owner in the animal after that. When Davis decided to ship Phar Lap to North America for further racing, Telford refused to go with him and Woodcock took over as trainer of his beloved “Bobby.”
Pedigree notes
Phar Lap is inbred 5x4 to St. Simon and 5x5 to Musket. His full sister, Nea Lap, produced the good handicapper Four Freedoms (by Peace Chance), winner of the 1944 Brooklyn Handicap. Another full sister, Raphis, produced the 1945 Great Northern Oaks winner Swingalong (by Lord Bobs) and is the second dam of 1956 AJC Derby winner Monte Carlo.
Books and movies
Phar Lap may be the most written-about racehorse in history. His stellar career and mysterious death continue to fascinate fans and racing historians. The works listed below are by no means a complete list of the literature and films surrounding the big gelding but do serve to give an idea of his enduring popularity.
Fun facts
Photo credit
Photographer unknown. Pictured with Tommy Woodcock. From the private collection of Dale Wyatt; used by permission.
Last updated: November 1, 2020
Race record
51 starts, 37 wins, 3 seconds, 2 thirds, US$301,402 (including converted foreign earnings)
1929:
- Won RRC Rosehill Guineas (AUS, 9FT, Rosehill Gardens)
- Won AJC Derby (AUS, 12FT, Randwick)
- Won AJC Craven Stakes (AUS, 10FT, Randwick)
- Won VRC Derby (AUS, 12FT, Flemington)
- 2nd Tatts Chelmsford Stakes (AUS, 9FT, Randwick)
- 3rd VRC Melbourne Cup (AUS, 16FT, Flemington)
1930:
- Won VRC St. Leger Stakes (AUS, 14FT, Flemington)
- Won VRC Governor's Plate (AUS, 12FT, Flemington)
- Won VRC King's Plate (AUS, 16FT, Flemington)
- Won AJC Chipping Norton Stakes (AUS, 10FT, Warwick Farm)
- Won AJC St. Leger Stakes (AUS, 14FT, Randwick)
- Won AJC Cumberland Stakes (AUS, 18FT, Randwick)
- Won SAJC Elder Stakes (AUS, 9FT, Morphettville)
- Won SAJC King's Cup (AUS, 12FT, Morphettville)
- Won Tatts Chelmsford Stakes (AUS, 9FT, Randwick)
- Won RRC Hill Stakes (AUS, 8FT, Rosehill Gardens)
- Won AJC Spring Stakes (AUS, 12FT, Randwick)
- Won MVRC W. S. Cox Plate (AUS, 9.5FT, Moonee Valley)
- Won VRC Melbourne Stakes (AUS, 10FT, Flemington)
- Won VRC Melbourne Cup (AUS, 16FT, Flemington)
- Won VRC Lithlingow Stakes (AUS, 8FT, Flemington)
- Won VRC C. B. Fisher Plate (AUS, 12FT, Flemington)
- 2nd AJC Warwick Stakes (AUS, 8FT, Warwick Farm)
- 3rd VATC St. George Stakes (AUS, 9FT, Caulfield)
1931:
- Won VATC St. George Stakes (AUS, 9FT, Caulfield)
- Won VATC Futurity Stakes (AUS, 7FT, Caulfield)
- Won VRC Essendon Stakes (AUS, 10FT, Flemington)
- Won VRC King's Plate (AUS, 16FT, Flemington)
- Won VRC C. M. Lloyd Stakes (AUS, 8FT, Flemington)
- Won WRC Underwood Stakes (AUS, 8FT, Williamstown)
- Won VATC Memsie Stakes (AUS, 9FT, Caulfield)
- Won RRC Hill Stakes (AUS, 8FT, Rosehill Gardens)
- Won AJC Spring Stakes (AUS, 12FT, Randwick)
- Won AJC Craven Plate (AUS, 10FT, Randwick)
- Won AJC Randwick Plate (AUS, 16FT, Randwick)
- Won MVRC W. S. Cox Plate (AUS, 9.5FT, Moonee Valley)
- Won VRC Melbourne Stakes (AUS, 10FT, Flemington)
1932:
- Won Agua Caliente Handicap (MEX, 10FD, Agua Caliente; new track record 2:02-4/5)
Honors
- Australian Racing Hall of Fame (inducted in 2001)
- New Zealand Racing Hall of Fame (inducted in 2006)
- Australian Horse of the Year (1930/31 and 1931/32)
- Australian champion 3-year-old male (1929/30)
- Australian champion older male (1930/31 and 1931/32)
Assessments
Phar Lap was ranked #22 among the top 100 American racehorses of the 20th century by an expert panel assembled by The Blood-Horse (Thoroughbred Champions, Eclipse Press, 7th printing, 2005).
As an individual
A red chestnut, Phar Lap stood 17.1 hands. He had a plain head but was blessed with virtually perfect conformation in his powerful hindquarters, the motor for his huge stride. He girthed an incredible 79 inches. His heart weighed 13.6 pounds, nearly twice the size of a normal Thoroughbred's. He had an exceedingly gentle disposition and was greatly attached to his groom, Tommy Woodcock, who later became his trainer.
Connections
Phar Lap was bred by Alick F. Roberts at Seadown Stud near Timaru, New Zealand. David J. Davis, a Russian-born American citizen, bought Phar Lap at the New Zealand yearling sales for 160 Australian guineas, equivalent to about US$800. Harry Telford, the gelding's trainer, leased him for his first three seasons of racing in Australia and became a joint owner in the animal after that. When Davis decided to ship Phar Lap to North America for further racing, Telford refused to go with him and Woodcock took over as trainer of his beloved “Bobby.”
Pedigree notes
Phar Lap is inbred 5x4 to St. Simon and 5x5 to Musket. His full sister, Nea Lap, produced the good handicapper Four Freedoms (by Peace Chance), winner of the 1944 Brooklyn Handicap. Another full sister, Raphis, produced the 1945 Great Northern Oaks winner Swingalong (by Lord Bobs) and is the second dam of 1956 AJC Derby winner Monte Carlo.
Books and movies
Phar Lap may be the most written-about racehorse in history. His stellar career and mysterious death continue to fascinate fans and racing historians. The works listed below are by no means a complete list of the literature and films surrounding the big gelding but do serve to give an idea of his enduring popularity.
- The Mighty Conqueror is a 10-minute documentary made in 1931. It is the only known footage concerning Phar Lap shot while he was still alive.
- Isabel R. Carter wrote the 1965 biography Phar Lap and the 1971 work Phar Lap: The Story of the Big Horse. Both were published by Lansdowne.
- The Diary of Phar Lap, by Robert Baker, presented the great horse's life from Phar Lap's viewpoint. It was published by Exisle Publishing in 1978.
- Another biography of the great horse, also titled Phar Lap, was published by Lansdowne in 1983. It was written by Helen Townsend.
- Phar Lap was a 1983 movie directed by Simon Wincer. It was produced by Hoyts Edgley and was distributed in the United States by Twentieth Century Fox. The screenplay was written by David Williamson.
- The Phar Lap Story was written by Michael Williamson and released by Budget Books Pty. in 1983.
- Phar Lap is profiled in Chapter 15 of Mary Fleming's A History of the Thoroughbred in California (1983, California Thoroughbred Breeders Association).
- Phar Lap: A Brief History was written by Jill Barnard and was published by the Museum of Victoria in 1991.
- Australian mystery author Arthur Upfield used Phar Lap's 1930 Melbourne Cup as the basis for his novel The Great Melbourne Cup Mystery (Imprint Book, 2006).
- Phar Lap's death is the subject of the first chapter of Great Horse Racing Mysteries (2000, Eclipse Press) by John McEvoy.
- The 2002 book Phar Lap was written by Geoff Armstrong and Peter Thompson and was published by Allen & Unwin. The same authors also wrote They Shot Phar Lap, Didn't They?, a look at the mysterious circumstances surrounding the great gelding's appearance in the 1930 Melbourne Cup. Released in 2005 under the title of Melbourne Cup 1930, it was released under its present title by Pier 9 in 2011.
- Phar Lap: A True Legend was written by Michael Reason. It was published by Museum Victoria in 2006.
- Phar Lap: The Untold Story was released by BAS Publishing in 2009. It was written by Graeme Putt and Pat McCord.
- Me & Phar Lap is a biography of Tommy Woodcock released in 2011. It was written by Jan Wositzky and published by The Slattery Media Group.
- The children's book Phar Lap: The Wonder Horse was released by Museum Victoria in 2012. It was written by Jackie Kerin and illustrated by Patricia Mullins.
- Killing Phar Lap: An Untold Part of the Story was released in 2014 following modern forensic research into Phar Lap's death. It was written by Biff Lowry and published by AuthorHouse. Another look at Phar Lap's death that includes modern evidence is The Death of Phar Lap: The Unsolved Never Ending Mystery, which was released on Amazon Kindle by Cindy Crank in 2014.
Fun facts
- Phar Lap's name means “lightning” or “lightning strike.” The source language of his name is given by various sources as Javanese, Thai or the Zhuang language of China.
- Phar Lap was known as “The Red Terror” and “The Wonder Horse” to Australian racing fans.
- Phar Lap's victory in the Agua Caliente Handicap and subsequent death were ranked #52 in Horse Racing's Top 100 Moments, a review of racing in the 20th century compiled by The Blood-Horse and released in 2006.
- Noted racing journalist Neil Newman, who wrote under the pen name of "Roamer," paid Phar Lap the following tribute in the Thoroughbred Record of April 16, 1932: "Like Caesar, it can be said of Phar Lap that he came, he saw, he conquered. He entwined himself in the hearts of all who saw him. . . . "
- For many years following Phar Lap's death, an anonymous fan left a wreath in the red-and-black colors of the Telford/Davis stable at the gates of Australia's Randwick race course on the anniversary of Phar Lap's death.
- A life-sized statue of Phar Lap adorns the grounds of Flemington Racecourse in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Another life-sized memorial stands near his birthplace at Timaru, New Zealand.
- In 1978, the Australian postal service released a stamp bearing Phar Lap's image.
- Following Phar Lap's death, his hide was mounted by taxidermist Louis Paul Jonas and displayed at Belmont Park before being sent to Australia, where it was placed in the Museum Victoria. It is now located in the Melbourne Gallery of the Melbourne Museum at Carlton Gardens, a division of Museum Victoria. Phar Lap's skeleton went to the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa in Wellington, New Zealand.
- The role of Phar Lap in the 1983 movie bearing his name was played by an Australian-bred Thoroughbred gelding named Towering Inferno.
Photo credit
Photographer unknown. Pictured with Tommy Woodcock. From the private collection of Dale Wyatt; used by permission.
Last updated: November 1, 2020