The latest from STOKE HILL PRESS ...
Every champion Australian racehorse since 1930 — from Bernborough and Tulloch to Black Caviar and Winx — has been called ‘the best since the Phar Lap’.
So, in all likelihood, will the next record breaker, because Phar Lap captured the imagination of the sporting public like no other thoroughbred ever has or ever will. In part, this was because of his remarkable back story, which unfolded during the Great Depression and featured a battling trainer named Harry Telford and a knockabout young strapper, Tommy Woodcock, who built a relationship with Phar Lap that was second to none. It was also because of the mysteries that surrounded the wonder horse. Did gangsters really try to shoot him on the eve of the Melbourne Cup? Who or what killed Phar Lap? As Winx was winning 33 races straight from 2015 to 2019, one question kept recurring: ‘Could she have beaten Phar Lap?’ The great mare was phenomenal, but Phar Lap was something else again, often making hacks of his rivals during his extraordinary but tragically short life. Here, in a special postscript, authors Geoff Armstrong and Peter Thompson analyse these two legends of the turf from every angle, identifying what set them apart and setting up the ultimate match race. Praise for Phar Lap ... ‘Phar Lap is the story of Australia’s most alluring horseracing icon — on a parallel with America’s Seabiscuit.’ — Publishers Weekly ‘Authors Geoff Armstrong and Peter Thompson seem to have answered the mystery of the big chestnut’s death once and for all.’ — The New Zealand Herald If there’s a horse lover about, bet on this to make their day.’ — Inside Sport ‘Anecdote rich and very classy … it is a surprise to find this story of Phar Lap still exciting and much more than a museum piece. A stayer for sure.’ — The Sunday Age ‘Contains all kinds of new and updated information about this legendary Australian champion [including] the answer to the age-old question about the horse’s mysterious death in California.’ — California Thoroughbred |