1. By Victor

2. Who is Phar Lap?  Champion Thoroughbred racehorse  1926-1932  Name derived from Thai language meaning ‘lightning’  Australia’s most famous and loved horse  National symbol for ‘Aussie battler’ during hard time of Great Depression →Bravery, perseverance in hard time, playfulness

3. Early Career  Foaled in New Zealand  Bought by American businessman David J.Davis and trained by Harry Telford  Big horse but moved awkwardly and covered with warts  Came last in first race and performed poorly  A bit of a joke

4. Racing success  Won his first race-Rosehill Guinea (1929)  Won AJC Derby  Won Melbourne Cup 1930  Came back from behind to win Agua Caliente Handicap- most prestigious race in North America  Won 37 of 51 entered races

5. Death  Died at a training camp in San Franciso  Believed he was poisoned by criminals who feared big losses  Autopsy revealed he died from a bacterial disease related to stress associated with travel, training, and change of climate