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FAMOUS AUSTRALIAN RACEHORSES |
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PHAR LAP (continued) At his first start as a 4 year old, he was beaten by his old rival Amounis in the Warwick Stakes. He then went on to win the
Chelmsford Stakes, Hill Stakes, AJC Spring Stakes, the Craven Plate and the Randwick Plate. In October, Phar Lap won the W S Cox Plate and on the Saturday before the Cup, the Melbourne Stakes. Bookmakers
stood to lose a fortune on the Caulfield Cup-Melbourne Cup double if Phar Lap won the 1930 Melbourne Cup, so one morning while returning from the track a shot was fired at the horse from a car. Quick thinking by
Tommy Woodcock saved Phar Lap from injury. Telford sent "The Red Terror" into hiding at St Alban's Stud, Geelong. |
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On the Tuesday morning of the race the float that was to bring the horse to Flemington broke down and he arrived at the course with less than three quarters of an hour to spare. At 11/8 on
he was the shortest favourite in Cup history and carried 9st 12lb. Phar Lap had no trouble in winning from Second Wind and the luckless Shadow King (who contested no less than six Melbourne
Cups). Two days later he won the one-mile Linlithgow Stakes and then on the Saturday the CB Fisher Plate. In one week he had won four races totalling a distance of 5.3/4 miles. |
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Telford's lease had expired and Davis sold him a half-share for 4,000 pounds. Phar Lap next won first-up in the St George Stakes at Caulfield in February, 1931. A week later he won the Futurity
Stakes over 7 furlongs after missing the start and being severely checked in the run. He then added the Essendon Stakes and King's Plate to his total. Following that race Woodcock asked Telford not to run
Phar Lap as he seemed listless but Jim Pike after trackwork declared him fit. Phar Lap was beaten and went for a spell. He came back in August to win eight races in a row, including the Memsie Stakes, Hill
Stakes and his third Craven Plate. For the 1931 Melbourne Cup he was given 10st 10lb. Three days before the race, Phar Lap won the Melbourne Stakes by a narrow margin and Jim Pike declared he seemed
jaded. In the cup he finished a distant eighth to White Nose to whom he conceded 54 pounds. The 1931 Melbourne Cup was Phar Lap's last Australian race. He won 36 races and was placed 5 times. |
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In January 1932 Phar Lap left Australia to run in the richest horse race in the world, the Agua Caliente Handicap with Tommy Woodcock as trainer and jockey Billy Elliott. On March 20, 11 starters set
off in the 1.1/4 mile race. For the first half mile Phar Lap raced at the rear, then in a flying burst went from last to first. With three furlongs to go Reveille Boy issued the only challenge but "The Red
Terror" bounded away to win by two lengths. He was hailed as a new world champion. On Tuesday 5th April 1932, Phar Lap was dead and a nation mourned his passing. The cause of his death has never been
explained - rumours of poisoning abounded. Nothing was proven. It will always be an unexplained mystery. |
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