Phar Lap and His Big Heart

Recently made famous again by a movie that probably only horse lovers saw, (but worth a watch) this racehorse proved that even a big, awkward, ugly colt can be fast. Originally from New Zealand, Phar lap was adopted by Australia where he began his career and is still one of the favorite Australian racehorses of all time.

As a Youth

Phar lap was first purchased by David J. Davis based on his bloodlines and his trainer’s recommendation. One look at the ugly colt was all Davis needed, he considered the horse sub-par and refused to pay for his training. His trainer (Harry Telford) had no real success in the racing industry but made Davis a deal, he’d train Phar lap for free and take 2/3 of any winnings he could coax out of the horse.

His Career and Stats

Telford began by gelding the thoroughbred in the hopes of focusing his attention on the track, then he put a young and inexperienced Jack Baker on his back. Through trial and tribulation this big horse from Australia advanced in the racing world and headed to North America for bigger purses and more competition.

In North America he was ridden by Tom Woodcock who worked closely with Telford and his unconventional training methods. There the Australian superhorse and his odd crew took the North American racing scene by storm.

Phar lap’s racing stats throughout his career are impressive indeed, seemed only to get better with age, and add up to a grand total of 37 wins in 51 starts.

As a two year old
Won 1 of his 5 starts.
As a three year old
Won 13 of his 20 starts
As a four year old
Won 14 of his 16 starts (came in second in the other two)
As a five year old
Won 9 of his 10 starts

His Death

Mystery surrounds Phar lap’s untimely death in 1932. He died at the age of 5 and it is believed that he was poisoned by American gangsters looking to protect their interest in the horse gambling industry. Since then many studies have been done, and some lean towards a death of natural causes (i.e. colic). However the evidence remains inconclusive, giving the memory of Phar lap a mysterious twist.

Upon autopsy it was revealed that Phar lap’s heart weighed 14 pounds, almost twice the size of a normal equine heart. Does the size of his heart give him superior performance or a greater capacity to love what he did? What do you think?

To this day Phar lap’s stuffed likeness is the most popular exhibit in the Australia Gallery of the Melborne Museum.