1932 Death of Phar Lap

The champion racehorse Phar Lap has been the source of great trans-Tasman debate and rivalry. New Zealand-born and -bred, Phar Lap raced primarily in Australia. Of his 51 races, he won 37 and was placed second or third in five others. At the height of his career he was as close to a ‘sure bet’ as was possible in the unpredictable world of horse racing. From the autumn of 1930 he won 32 of his last 35 races, including the 1930 Melbourne Cup. In the gloom of the great Depression Phar Lap’s exploits thrilled the people of two countries.

Phar Lap arrived in Australia as a two-year-old. A bright red chestnut, he grew to a huge 17.1 (1.74 m) hands high, earning nicknames such as ‘Big Red’ and ‘The Red Terror’. His name meant ‘lightning’ in the Thai language, and he lived up to it with his ability to finish races with a surge of speed. While he was no looker, with warts all over his head, this mattered little to the punters. 

Having conquered Australasia, Phar Lap was on the verge of repeating the effort in America. On 24 March 1932 he won the rich Agua Caliente Handicap in Mexico by two lengths and in record time. Invitations to race in major meetings in the eastern United States flooded in. Unfortunately, Phar Lap died mysteriously on 5 April. There were suspicions that he had been fed poisoned grass, but the real cause was never established.

In death both New Zealand and Australia wanted its share of the champion’s remains. His heart, which weighed an incredible 6.3 kg, went to Canberra while the Museum of Victoria in Melbourne obtained his hide. His bones were returned to New Zealand and the complete skeleton is on display at Te Papa Tongarewa, the Museum of New Zealand in Wellington.