9 PHAR LAP THE LEGEND LIVES ON Few athletes have captured the public imagination quite like Phar Lap. More than a champion racehorse, he became a symbol of hope during the bleakest years of the Great Depression. His victories filled grandstands while millions more followed every race through newspapers and radio broadcasts. Born in New Zealand in 1926 and purchased for just 160 guineas, Phar Lap rose from unfashionable yearling to international champion in one of sport's great stories. After winning only one of his first ten starts, he went on to record 37 wins from 51 races, including the Melbourne Cup, two Cox Plates, the AJC Derby and Victoria Derby. One of the most astonishing feats in racing’s history came at the 1930 Melbourne Cup Carnival, where he won on all four race days. In 1932, Phar Lap took on the world, winning Mexico's Agua Caliente Handicap – then the richest horse race on earth. Sixteen days later, his sudden death in California shocked the nation and sparked a mystery that continues to fascinate to this day. He remains woven into Australia's cultural identity, and every great racehorse that follows is measured against him. This exhibition celebrates the life, legend and enduring legacy of a horse who became far more than a racehorse. There have been many champions. There has only ever been one Phar Lap. Phar Lap with jockey Jim Pike, c. 1930. Photo: Australian Racing Museum Collection
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy ODA1NTI=