Phar Lap: A True Legend Trivia Quiz

Answer: New Zealand

Phar Lap was born at Seadown Stud, Timaru, New Zealand, on Monday 4th October 1926.

Answer: No

While Phar Lap WAS chestnut, his mother, Entreaty (1920 by Winkie out of Prayer Wheel), was black; while his father, Night Raid (1918 by radium out of Sentiment), was bay.
Phar Lap was foaled in October 1926.

Answer: All of them

Phar Lap had a total of six nicknames. They were: 'The Wonderhorse', 'The Red Terror', 'Big Red', 'Old Boy', 'The Big Fellow' and 'Bobby'.

My personal favourite is 'Bobby'. This was the nickname Phar Lap's strapper gave him.

Answer: 160 guineas

Phar Lap was purchased by Mr. David Davis for 160 guineas. However, when Phar Lap arrived in Australia, Mr. Davis was unimpressed. The horse was clumsy and his head was covered in warts. Phar Lap was trained by Sydney trainer, Harry Telford. Interestingly, another horse, Honour, which was sold at the same time as Phar Lap, fetched 2,300 guineas. Honour won the Breeders Plate at Randwick in 1928 and the NZ Derby in 1929.

Answer: Carradale

Carradale was owned by Lachlan Kenneth Scobie Mackinnon, the chairman of the Victoria Racing Club. This would be the only time Carradale would beat Phar Lap. Nightmarch was Phar Lap's half-brother.

Answer: Amounis

Bookmakers stood to lose a fortune if both horses won. Amounis won the Caulfield Cup by a 1/2 length and, despite the fact that he was shot at three days before the race, Phar Lap went on to win the Melbourne Cup by three lengths.

Answer: Two

Phar Lap's first win was as a two-year-old in the 1929 Maiden Juvenile Handicap. Seven months later, he beat Carradale in the Victoria Derby. In between these races he won the Rosehill Guineas, the A.J.C Derby and the Craven Plate.

Answer: Tommy Woodcock

Tommy and Phar Lap were inseparable. Tommy was the horse's strapper even ate and slept in the stall with him. Jim Pike and Jack Baker were two of Phar Lap's jockeys. Bill Nielsen was Phar Lap's vet.

Answer: Yes

Phar Lap had seven siblings: Nightguard, Raphis, Te Uira, Nea Lap, All Clear, Fortune's Wheel and Friday Night. None of them won a listed race (a major race).

Answer: Cox Plate

Phar Lap won his first Cox Plate in October 1930, beating Tregilla and Mollison by four lengths. He went on to win another Cox Plate in October 1931, this time beating Chatham and Johnnie Jason by 2.5 lengths.

Out of his 37 victories, he won six races twice (Cox Plate 1930/1931, Hill Stakes 1930/1931, King's Plate 1930/1931, Melbourne Stakes 1930/1931, Randwick Plate 1930/1931, Spring Stakes 1930/1931). He also won the Craven Plate three times (1929/1930/1931).

Answer: 62.5 kg

His heaviest weight was 68kg in the 1931 Melbourne Cup, when he came home in 8th position.
(10 st 10 lb)

Answer: Reveille Boy

After finishing 8th behind White Nose in the 1931 Melbourne Cup, Phar Lap travelled to Mexico to run in the Agua Caliente Handicap. Despite being challenged by Reveille Boy, Phar Lap won by two lengths.

Answer: Phar Lap died

Early that morning Phar Lap's strapper, Tommy Woodcock, woke to find to find Phar Lap in distress. At noon, with his head resting in Tommy's arms, Phar Lap died. Many believe his death was caused by arsenic poisoning.

Answer: It was massive

With a weight of 6.2kg, Phar Lap's heart is the largest ever found in a horse. An average horse's heart weighs around 3kg.

Answer: Melbourne Museum

This exhibit attracts thousands of visitors every year.