Phar Lap
Phar Lap with jockey Jim Pike riding at Flemington race track c 1930
Sire:	Night Raid
Dam:	Entreaty
Damsire:	Winkie
Sex:	Male (gelded)
Foaled:	1926
Country:	New Zealand
Colour:	Chestnut
Breeder:	Alick Roberts
Owner:	David Davis
Trainer:	Harry Telford
Record:	51:37-3-2
Earnings:	£66,738
Major Racing Wins & Honours & Awards
Major Racing Wins
AJC Derby (1928) Linlithgow Stakes (1929) Victoria Derby (1929) Futurity Stakes (1930) Melbourne Cup (1930) Chipping Norton Stakes (1930) Cox Plate (1930 & 1931) Melbourne Stakes (1930 & 1931) Underwood Stakes (1931) Agua Caliente Handicap (1932)
Honours
#22 - Top 100 U.S. Racehorses of the 20th Century 1983 Motion Picture - Phar Lap: Heart of a Nation Australian Racing Hall of Fame
Infobox last updated on: January 3, 2007. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... A gelding is a castrated animal—in English, a castrated male horse. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_New_Zealand. ... Chestnuts. ... The AJC Derby is an Australian Group 1 thoroughbred horse race for three year olds, at set weights, held at Randwick Racecourse in Sydney. ... The Linlithgow Stakes is a thoroughbred horse race held on Flemington Racecourse. ... The Victoria Derby is Race Six on the first day of Melbournes annual Spring Racing Carnival, Victorian Derby Day, held at Flemington Racecourse in Melbourne. ... The MRC Futurity Stakes is a Group 1 weight-for-age thoroughbred horse race. ... The Melbourne Cup is Australias major annual thoroughbred horse race. ... The Chipping Norton Stakes is a Group 1 Australian thoroughbred horse race at Weight for Age run over a distance of 1600 metres at Warwick Farm Racecourse, Sydney in March. ... The W.S. Cox Plate is a Group 1 thoroughbred horse race held annually in late October by the Moonee Valley Racing Club in honour of W.S. Cox, the clubs founder. ... The LKS MacKinnon Stakes is a 2000 metre (mile and a quarter) thoroughbred horse race under Weight for Age conditions. ... The Underwood Stakes is a Group 1 horse race, held at Caulfield Racecourse in Melbourne Australia. ... In 1999, a panel for The Blood-Horse magazine made up of distinguished horse racing people Howard Battle, Lenny Hale, Jay Hovdey, William Nack, Pete Pedersen, Jennie Rees and Tommy Trotter compiled a list of what they considered to be the top 100 racehorses of the 20th Century who had... “Moving picture” redirects here. ... Promotional poster from the 1983 film Phar Lap. ... The Australian Racing Hall of Fame is a museum for the horseracing legends of Australia. ...

For the computer software, see: Phar Lap (company).

Phar Lap (usually pronounced as one word: "farlap") was a giant chestnut gelding, standing 17.1 hands, considered by many to be Australasia's greatest-ever racehorse. At the time of his death, Phar Lap was the third highest stake-winner in the world. Bookmakers offered very short odds on him, even refusing to accept any bets on some races. It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Computer program. ... Phar Lap was a software company specializing in software development tools for the MS-DOS/PC-DOS operating systems. ... A hand (or handbreadth) is a unit of length measurement, usually based on the breadth of a male human hand and thus around 1 dm, i. ... Monmouth Racetrack in New Jersey in May 2005. ...

Phar Lap was born and bred in New Zealand, but following his purchase became a part of the Australian racing scene during his long and distinguished racing career. He was sometimes called "Australia's wonder horse" in that country. He was also called "The Red Terror" and "Big Red", the same nickname as the two greatest US racehorses ever, Man o' War and Secretariat. Big Red has several meanings: // Sports Affectionate name of the greatest racehorse ever, Man O War Also, the affectionate names of racehorses Phar Lap, Secretariat and Bonecrusher The nickname of the sports teams of Cornell University (see Cornell Big Red), Denison University, Steubenville(Ohio) High School, and a secondary nickname... Man o War, (March 29, 1917 Nursery Stud farm, Lexington, Kentucky - November 1, 1947, Faraway Farm) is considered by most to be the greatest thoroughbred racehorse of all time. ... Secretariat (March 30, 1970 – October 4, 1989) was an American Thoroughbred racehorse considered by many to be the greatest racehorse of all time. ...

• Sire: Night Raid - (United Kingdom), b. 1918
• Dam: Entreaty - (New Zealand), b. 1920

Phar Lap was foaled in Timaru, New Zealand, in 1926. Father with child For other uses, see Father (disambiguation). ... 1918 (MCMXVIII) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar (see link for calendar) or a common year starting on Wednesday of the Julian calendar. ... The words dam and damn have very different meanings, but they are sometimes confused in spelling, particularly by foreigners. ... Entreaty was a black New Zealand breeding mare. ... 1920 (MCMXX) was a leap year starting on Thursday. ... Timaru is a major port city in the southern Canterbury region of New Zealand, located 160 kilometres south of Christchurch and about 200 kilometres north of Dunedin on the eastern Pacific coast of the South Island. ... Year 1926 (MCMXXVI) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Name

The name Phar Lap derives from the shared Zhuang and Thai word for lightning (Thai: ฟ้าแลบ fáa lɛ̂p, lit. 'sky flash').^[1] The Zhuang (Simplified Chinese: 壮族; Traditional Chinese: 壯族; Hanyu Pinyin: ; own name: BouчcueÅ‹ÑŒ/Bouxcuengh) are an ethnic group of people who mostly live in the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region in southern China. ...

According to the Museum Victoria, Aubrey Ping, studying medicine at the University of Sydney, had the track in Randwick as a regular haunt, and he often talked with riders and trainers. He had learned some Zhuang from his father, who migrated to Australia from southern China in the 19th century. He was the one who suggested "farlap" as the horse's name. Telford liked the name, but changed the F to a PH to create a seven letter word, and split it into two words, so as to replicate the dominant pattern set by Melbourne Cup winners.

Off to a slow start

Sydney trainer Harry Telford persuaded American-born sportsman David J. Davis to buy the colt at auction, based on his pedigree. Telford's brother Hugh, who lived in New Zealand, was asked to bid up to 190 guineas. When the horse was obtained for a mere 160 guineas, he thought the he was a great bargain - until the colt arrived in Australia. The horse was gangly, his face was covered with warts, and he had an awkward gait. Davis was furious when he saw the colt as well, and refused to pay to train the horse. Telford had not been particularly successful as a trainer, and Davis was one of his few remaining owners. To placate Davis, he agreed to train the horse for nothing, in exchange for a 2/3 share of the winnings - if any.

Although syndicating a winning racehorse can be quite lucrative, Telford gelded Phar Lap anyway, hoping that the colt would concentrate on racing.

Phar Lap came in last the first race he entered, and he did not place in his next three races. He won his first race on April 27, 1929, the Maiden Juvenile Handicap at Rosehill, ridden by Jack Baker of Armidale, a 17-year-old apprentice.^[2] The word maiden indicates that none of the horses in the race had won. They spelled the horse for several months, then entered him in a series of races in which he moved up in class. The horse took second in the Chelmsford Stakes at Randwick on September 14, 1929, and the racing community started treating the horse with respect. April 27 is the 117th day of the year (118th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar, with 248 days remaining. ... Year 1929 (MCMXXIX) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Armidale (population 22,000) is a university city in northwestern New South Wales, Australia, and is the administrative centre for the New England region. ... If youre looking for the TV show, see The Apprentice. ... is the 257th day of the year (258th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1929 (MCMXXIX) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Racing life

Phar Lap winning the 1930 Melbourne Cup

In his four years of his racing career, Phar Lap won 37 of the 51 races in which he was entered, including the prestigious Melbourne Cup in 1930. In that year and 1931, he won 14 races in a row. From his win as a three-year-old in the VRC St. Leger Stakes until his final race in Mexico, Phar Lap won 32 of 35 races. In the three races that he did not win, he ran second on two occasions, beaten by a short head and a neck, and in the 1931 Melbourne Cup he finished eighth when carrying 10 st 10 lb (68 kg). Image File history File links Phar_Lap_wins_the_Melbourne_Cup. ... Image File history File links Phar_Lap_wins_the_Melbourne_Cup. ... The Melbourne Cup is Australias major annual thoroughbred horse race. ... Year 1930 (MCMXXX) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will display 1930 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1931 (MCMXXXI) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display full 1931 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... History The Victoria Racing Club was founded in 1864. ...

In 1930, someone (alleged to have been a bookmaker losing vast amounts of money) tried to shoot the horse. Year 1930 (MCMXXX) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will display 1930 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ...

For his final race in 1932, Phar Lap's owner shipped him by boat to Agua Caliente Racetrack near Tijuana, Mexico, to compete in the Agua Caliente Handicap, which was offering the largest purse ever raced for in North America. Phar Lap won in track-record time while carrying 129 pounds (58.5 kg). From there, the horse was sent to a private ranch near Menlo Park, California, while his owner negotiated with racetrack officials for special race appearances. Year 1932 (MCMXXXII) was a leap year starting on Friday (the link will display full 1932 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Agua Caliente Casino and Hotel opened in June 1928 in the Mexican city of Tijuana, Baja California. ... Tijuana (Spanish [tixwana], English usually [ËŒtiːəˈwÉ‘nÉ™]), is the largest city in the Mexican state of Baja California and the seat of the municipality of Tijuana. ... North America North America is a continent[1] in the Earths northern hemisphere and (chiefly) western hemisphere. ... Menlo Park is a city in San Mateo County, California in the United States of America. ... Official language(s) English Capital Sacramento Largest city Los Angeles Largest metro area Greater Los Angeles Area  Ranked 3rd  - Total 158,302 sq mi (410,000 km²)  - Width 250 miles (400 km)  - Length 770 miles (1,240 km)  - % water 4. ...

Death

Phar Lap's heart at the National Museum of Australia. It was formerly held by the Institute of Anatomy in Canberra.

Early on April 5, 1932, the horse's trainer for the North American visit, Tommy Woodcock, found him in severe pain and carrying a high temperature. Within a few hours, Phar Lap hemorrhaged to death. Much speculation ensued, and when a necropsy revealed that the horse's stomach and intestines were inflamed, many believed the horse had been deliberately poisoned. There have been alternative theories, including accidental poisoning from lead insecticide and a stomach condition. Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (1536x2048, 650 KB) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Phar Lap Metadata This file contains additional information, probably added from the digital camera or scanner used to... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (1536x2048, 650 KB) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Phar Lap Metadata This file contains additional information, probably added from the digital camera or scanner used to... Central garden of the National Museum of Australia The National Museum of Australia first opened its doors to the public in March 2001 in the nations federal capital city of Canberra. ... is the 95th day of the year (96th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1932 (MCMXXXII) was a leap year starting on Friday (the link will display full 1932 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Post-mortem, postmortem and post mortem redirect here. ... The skull and crossbones symbol (Jolly Roger) traditionally used to label a poisonous substance. ...

In 2000, equine specialists studying the two necropsies concluded that Phar Lap probably died of duodenitis-proximal jejunitis, an acute bacterial gastroenteritis. It was not until the 1980s that the infection could be formally identified.

However, in 2006 Australian Synchrotron Research scientists said it was almost certain Phar Lap was poisoned with a large dose of arsenic, supporting the theory that Phar Lap was killed on the orders of US gangsters, who feared the Melbourne-Cup-winning champion would inflict big losses on their illegal bookmakers.^[3]

Sydney veterinarian Dr Percy Sykes believes poisoning did not cause the death. He said "In those days, arsenic was quite a common tonic, usually given in the form of a solution," and suggests this was the cause of the high levels. "It was so common that I'd reckon 90 per cent of the horses had arsenic in their system."^[4]

Phar Lap never had the opportunity to confront the great Equipoise, called Chocolate Soldier by his fans, and the dominant American thoroughbred racehorse of the day (horse of the year in 1932 and 1933 and an exceptional performer in his own right). Equipoise (1928 - 1938) was a champion thoroughbred racehorse, a chestnut bred in the United States by Harry Payne Whitney and owned by his son, Cornelius Vanderbilt Whitney. ...

Following his death, Phar Lap's heart was donated to the Institute of Anatomy in Canberra and his skeleton to the New Zealand National Museum in Wellington. After preparations of the hide by a New York City taxidermist, his stuffed body was placed in the Australia Gallery at Melbourne Museum. For other uses, see Canberra (disambiguation). ... Te Papa (Our Place), The Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa The Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa is the national museum of New Zealand. ... Alternative meanings at Wellington (disambiguation) A view of Wellington from the top of Mount Victoria. ... New York, New York and NYC redirect here. ... A mounted snow leopard. ... Exhibit space Museum hall The Melbourne Museum is located in the Carlton Gardens in Melbourne, Australia. ...

Phar Lap's heart was remarkable for its size, weighing 6.2 kg, compared with a normal horse's heart at 3.2 kg. (In 1989 the famous Secretariat's heart was examined at a necropsy performed at his death. The veterinarian recorded the heart weight at an astonishing 9.6 kg — 21 pounds officially, though it was estimated at 21 to 22 pounds). Phar Lap's heart is now held at the National Museum of Australia in Canberra. It is consistently the objects visitors request to see most often. Secretariat (March 30, 1970 – October 4, 1989) was an American Thoroughbred racehorse considered by many to be the greatest racehorse of all time. ... Central garden of the National Museum of Australia The National Museum of Australia first opened its doors to the public in March 2001 in the nations federal capital city of Canberra. ...

When news of Phar Lap's death reached Australia thousands grieved. Many sporting champions paid tribute to the horse, including Australia's leading cyclist, Hubert Opperman. He said, "I am not a follower of horse-racing, but like every Australian with red blood in their veins, I have followed with close interest Phar Lap's gallop to world fame. Even during the Tour de France, I've had strangers ask after our champion racehorse, and had it been possible for him to visit the Continent, he would have been received with royal honours. He was truly a great boost for Australia and, like every other Australian, I mourn his passing. In my opinion, there is nothing maudlin in a nation mourning the loss of a racehorse when that horse is Phar Lap." Hubert Opperman in action as a cyclist Sir Hubert Ferdinand Opperman (29 May 1904 - 24 April 1996), affectionately referred to as Oppy by Australian and French crowds, was an Australian cyclist and politician, whose endurance cycling feats in the 1920s and 1930s earned him international acclaim. ... The Tour de France is the worlds best-known cycling race, a 22 day long, 20 stage road race that is usually run over a distance of more than 3000km. ... For other uses, see Europe (disambiguation). ...

Cultural impact

Promotional poster from the 1983 Phar Lap film.

Several books and films have been written about the horse, including the 1983 movie Phar Lap or Phar Lap: Heart of a Nation. A song, "Phar Lap—Farewell To You", was also written. Promotional poster of the 1983 film Phar Lap. ... Promotional poster of the 1983 film Phar Lap. ... Promotional poster from the 1983 film Phar Lap. ...

Phar Lap was one of the five inaugural inductees into the Australian Racing Hall of Fame, alongside other turf immortals Carbine, Tulloch, Bernborough, and Kingston Town. In the Blood-Horse magazine ranking of the top 100 U.S. thoroughbred champions of the 20th century, Phar Lap was ranked no. 22. The Australian Racing Hall of Fame is a museum for the horseracing legends of Australia. ... Carbine, a New Zealand horse, was probably the greatest 19th century thoroughbred to race in Australasia. ... Tulloch is considered to be among the top three champion Australian thoroughbred racehorses of all time. ... Bernborough was a remarkable Australian thoroughbred racehorse who raced from 1941 to 1946. ... Kingston Town was a champion Australian racehorse of the 1980s by Ada Hunter out of Bletchingley. ... The Blood-Horse is an international weekly news magazine about Thoroughbred horses, horse breeding, and horseracing. ... In 1999, a panel for The Blood-Horse magazine made up of distinguished horse racing people Howard Battle, Lenny Hale, Jay Hovdey, William Nack, Pete Pedersen, Jennie Rees and Tommy Trotter compiled a list of what they considered to be the top 100 racehorses of the 20th Century who had...

A life-sized bronze memorial to Phar Lap is to be created in South Canterbury in New Zealand, where Phar Lap was born.^[5]

Phar Lap was the inspiration for the name of the Chicago musical group, "Kevin Tihista's Red Terror." Kevin Tihista is a singer-songwriter and musician. ...

Racing record

1928-29 season as a two year old

1929-30 season as a three year old

The Warwick Stakes is a Group 2 Australian thoroughbred horse race at Weight for Age run over a distance of 1400 metres at Warwick Farm Racecourse, Sydney in August. ... The Chelmsford Stakes is a Group 2 thoroughbred horserace run over 1600 metres at Weight for Age at Randwick Racecourse Sydney, Australia. ... The Rosehill Guineas is a Group 1 thoroughbred horse race for three year olds at set weights held over 2000 metres. ... The AJC Derby is an Australian Group 1 thoroughbred horse race for three year olds, at set weights, held at Randwick Racecourse in Sydney. ... The Craven Plate is a major Australian horse race over 2000 meters, run under weight-for-age conditions. ... The Victoria Derby is Race Six on the first day of Melbournes annual Spring Racing Carnival - Victoria Derby Day. ... The Melbourne Cup is Australias major annual thoroughbred horse race. ... The St George Stakes is a Group 2 Australian thoroughbred horse race held under weight for age conditions, for horses aged 2 years old and upwards, over a distance of 1800m. ... The VRC St Leger is a horse race for three year olds at the ultimate distance of 2800m (a mile and three quarters). ... The Chipping Norton Stakes is a Group 1 Australian thoroughbred horse race at Weight for Age run over a distance of 1600 metres at Warwick Farm Racecourse, Sydney in March. ... South Australian Jockey Club is the principal race club in South Australia, Australia. ... South Australian Jockey Club is the principal race club in South Australia, Australia. ...

1930-31 season as a four year old

The Warwick Stakes is a Group 2 Australian thoroughbred horse race at Weight for Age run over a distance of 1400 metres at Warwick Farm Racecourse, Sydney in August. ... The Chelmsford Stakes is a Group 2 thoroughbred horserace run over 1600 metres at Weight for Age at Randwick Racecourse Sydney, Australia. ... The Hill Stakes is a Group 2 Australian thoroughbred horse race at Weight for Age run over a distance of 1900 metres at Rosehill Racecourse, Sydney in September. ... The Craven Plate is a major Australian horse race over 2000 meters, run under weight-for-age conditions. ... The W.S. Cox Plate is a Group 1 thoroughbred horse race held annually in late October by the Moonee Valley Racing Club in honour of W.S. Cox, the clubs founder. ... The LKS MacKinnon Stakes is a 2000 metre (mile and a quarter) thoroughbred horse race under Weight for Age conditions. ... The Melbourne Cup is Australias major annual thoroughbred horse race. ... The Linlithgow Stakes is a thoroughbred horse race held on Flemington Racecourse. ... The MRC Futurity Stakes is a Group 1 weight-for-age thoroughbred horse race. ...

1931-32 season as a five year old

TOTAL: 51 starts - 37 wins, 3 seconds, 2 thirds, 9 unplaced The Underwood Stakes is a Group 1 horse race, held at Caulfield Racecourse in Melbourne Australia. ... The Memsie Stakes is a weight-for-age thoroughbred horse race run at Caulfield Racecourse over 1400 m (7 furlongs). ... The Hill Stakes is a Group 2 Australian thoroughbred horse race at Weight for Age run over a distance of 1900 metres at Rosehill Racecourse, Sydney in September. ... The Craven Plate is a major Australian horse race over 2000 meters, run under weight-for-age conditions. ... The W.S. Cox Plate is a Group 1 thoroughbred horse race held annually in late October by the Moonee Valley Racing Club in honour of W.S. Cox, the clubs founder. ... The Melbourne Cup is Australias major annual thoroughbred horse race. ...

Pedigree

Bend Or (1877-1903) was a British Thoroughbred racehorse who won the 1880 edition of the Epsom Derby. ... Doncaster was a Thoroughbred racehorse, and the sire of the great stallion Bend Or. ... Carbine, a New Zealand horse, was probably the greatest 19th century thoroughbred to race in Australasia. ... St. ...

Notes

Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... is the 211th day of the year (212th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

External links

• Science finds new angle to Phar Lap mystery - Horsetalk, October 2006
• Phar Lap at Museum Victoria, Melbourne Australia
• Phar Lap at Te Papa, New Zealand
• Phar Lap's heart at the National Museum of Australia, Canberra
• Phar Lap at the Internet Movie Database (IMDb).
• Australian Racing Museum and Hall of Fame
• Phar Lap Australia's Wonder Horse
• Book Review of 'Phar Lap' by Geoff Armstrong and Peter Thompson
• Digital Photo Collection on Phar Lap
• Life-sized Phar Lap bronze to be created in Timaru