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Unsolved Horse Mysteries #2
Phar Lap: The Mysterious Death of a World Champion
Librarian Note: Alternate Cover Edition for ASIN: B00HFDP5TQ.
Everything you knew about the death of champion racehorse Phar Lap is probably wrong.
The Great Depression descended upon the world in 1929, and Phar Lap, a gangly legged, spotty faced horse with few redeeming features made his first inauspicious steps onto the racecourses of Australia. He won just one race after four starts and was the brunt of more than a few jokes.
Yet, from 1930 to 1932 he would win 32 races including the prestigious Melbourne Cup and the Agua Caliente in Mexico. Just weeks later, the horse who had given people a ray of hope and a reason to smile amidst grinding poverty and unemployment was dead. His demise had all the elements of an international whodunit including possible poisonings and mafia involvement. The suspected causes of Phar Lap’s death have swirled around like chaff thrown to the wind for decades and the world thought they had heard them all.
Until now.
Tommy Woodcock, Phar Lap’s groom, had harbored a terrible secret since 1932. When the secret was finally revealed, the tragic tale of Phar Lap’s death had just taken another twisted turn and the stunning revelation shocked and shamed the nation that loved “Bobby” and those associated with the “Red Terror”.
Nothing in the Phar Lap saga was as it seemed.
Everything you knew about the death of champion racehorse Phar Lap is probably wrong.
The Great Depression descended upon the world in 1929, and Phar Lap, a gangly legged, spotty faced horse with few redeeming features made his first inauspicious steps onto the racecourses of Australia. He won just one race after four starts and was the brunt of more than a few jokes.
Yet, from 1930 to 1932 he would win 32 races including the prestigious Melbourne Cup and the Agua Caliente in Mexico. Just weeks later, the horse who had given people a ray of hope and a reason to smile amidst grinding poverty and unemployment was dead. His demise had all the elements of an international whodunit including possible poisonings and mafia involvement. The suspected causes of Phar Lap’s death have swirled around like chaff thrown to the wind for decades and the world thought they had heard them all.
Until now.
Tommy Woodcock, Phar Lap’s groom, had harbored a terrible secret since 1932. When the secret was finally revealed, the tragic tale of Phar Lap’s death had just taken another twisted turn and the stunning revelation shocked and shamed the nation that loved “Bobby” and those associated with the “Red Terror”.
Nothing in the Phar Lap saga was as it seemed.
19 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 3, 2014
7 people are currently reading
21 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
April 16, 2023
A lot shorter than I expected, more of an Epsom Dash than The Grand National. Did learn some interesting facts. Worth 3 stars of anyone’s money. 4ULAB❤️
November 2, 2019
Dry
Finding the truth and learning where the term X factor comes from was interesting, but I had really good for more pictures and a more emotional story about the horse. More intellectual than entertaining.
Finding the truth and learning where the term X factor comes from was interesting, but I had really good for more pictures and a more emotional story about the horse. More intellectual than entertaining.
May 18, 2019
Interesting
Phar Lap was an amazing horse. I learned some interesting things in this little book thatch had never heard of.
Phar Lap was an amazing horse. I learned some interesting things in this little book thatch had never heard of.
March 9, 2017
A legend
I saw the movie of Phar Lap and always wondered what really happened. I loved the love story that he shared with his trainer also.
I saw the movie of Phar Lap and always wondered what really happened. I loved the love story that he shared with his trainer also.
June 23, 2021
Wonderful story of a little known race horse.
February 9, 2014
Ok but didn't Provide any new information and very short (about 30 min read) hence the low rating.
January 18, 2015
I was hoping for the story. This seemed like a long newspaper article.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews