The toast of Melbourne
Phar Lap is Australia’s most famous racehorse. His short career charted 37 wins and 5 placings from just 51 starts, including most of Australia’s major races – an exceptional achievement.
Yet it was a far from impressive creature that horse trainer Harry Telford bought for a modest price in New Zealand in 1928. “Gangly” in appearance and “awkward” in his movements, the dark chestnut gelding failed to inspire those who saw him offloaded from the ship in Sydney.
In his first four races, Phar Lap did not live up to his name – which means “lightning”. Soon, though, he tasted victory, with a series of dazzling wins in the spring of 1929, including the Victoria Derby and AJC Derby. A resounding victory in the 1930 Melbourne Cup made Phar Lap a household name throughout the country.
Between September 1929 and November 1931, the champion ran 41 races, winning 36 of them and becoming Australia’s first sporting superstar.
Phar Lap owed his celebrity not just to speed and stamina. His rise to fame coincided with the early days or radio and newsreels, which enabled an audience far beyond the racecourse to share in the excitement of his victories.
The thoroughbred’s triumphs also coincided with the start of the Great Depression. With unemployment and homelessness soaring, life was bleak for many Australians. They needed a hero, and they got one – 17 hands high, with a silken mane and a colossal heart.
