The grief of a nation over the death of a beloved champion was replaced with suspicion and anger

On the morning of Tuesday, April 5, 1932, Phar Lap, the legendary Australian racehorse, unexpectedly collapsed at a farm on the outskirts of San Francisco. This occurred only 16 days after his triumphant victory at the Agua Caliente Handicap held in Tijuana, Mexico. He died a long way from home in the arms of Tommy Woodcock, his dedicated strapper and mate.

“PHAR LAP DEAD: COLLAPSE IN CALIFORNIA”

The Melbourne Argus newspaper's headline on April 7th made a significant impact on the nation, with the unfortunate demise of the racehorse becoming the primary news story in Australia for several consecutive days. As the news of the horse's passing spread through the country, the nation was plunged into a state of disbelief and collective shock, as people struggled to come to terms with his unexpected death. Phar Lap's significance lies not only in his accomplishments, but also in the profound impact he had on the Australian national identity. During a period of vulnerability in the Great Depression, his unparalleled success instilled a sense of patriotism and resilience within the nation. His legacy endures as an integral part of the Australian cultural narrative even today.

The cause of the horse's death created a great deal of uncertainty and unrest within Australia. Conspiracy theories quickly circulated among the media and the general public, suggesting that the horse had been intentionally 'got at'. Additionally, rumours emerged that American gangsters, who felt threatened by the horse's consistent victories, may have poisoned Phar Lap. In September 1936, approximately four and a half years after the untimely passing of Phar Lap, his strapper, Tommy Woodcock, decided to break his silence in Brisbane's Courier Mail. Woodcock, detailed how a gangster he referred to as ‘The Brazilian’ was hanging around Phar Lap’s stables in both Mexico and in San Francisco, and later admitted to killing the prized horse. His life was in danger from the moment he landed in America, with security measures around Phar Lap unusually tight. Woodcock made a solemn commitment to maintain constant vigilance over the horse, going so far as to assign a dedicated watchman to monitor Phar Lap's stable, ensuring the utmost care and attention to his food and water during exercise sessions on the track. In addition, the Agua Caliente Club, where Phar Lap was to race, put a Mexican security guard with a loaded shotgun outside the barn to keep an around-the-clock vigil. This was not the first occurrence of weapons out to protect the wonder horse.

Woodcock recalls first seeing ‘The Brazilian’ hanging around the stables a few days before the race, and was warned “he had the reputation of being a killer.” When he saw him again just before the race with the toughest-looking bunch of men he'd ever seen, Woodcock asked an American trainer who they were. The trainer told him they were a gang to be feared, who made racing a racket that paid, even at the expense of human life. They had just witnessed Phar Lap walk into the enclosure with a split hoof, which had been bandaged up and, of course, they didn’t fail to notice this. Despite the injury, Phar Lap won the Agua Caliente Handicap, and the gangsters were not pleased. There was a fearful din as he passed the post, and above it, Woodcock heard angry voices directly behind him. On looking round he saw the gang, and it was evident that someone was telling 'The Brazilian’ off. It was the last race he would ever run.

THE FATAL DOSE

Phar Lap and his team next travelled to San Francisco. Woodcock, who thought the danger had passed, was surprised when he again saw 'The Brazilian' in San Francisco. Straightaway Tommy was on his guard, and never left Phar Lap's side, although he did not think it necessary to police the barn while the horse was out exercising. This was a fatal mistake. A few days later, Woodcock entered the barn and found Phar Lap lying on his side, in distress. He fetched Phar Lap’s vet, William Nielson, and the pair tended to him into the afternoon. Around 2pm, Phar Lap took his final breath.

“He whinnied. He groaned,” Woodcock remembered. “Dementedly, I rushed around to make him comfortable. Coming towards me, he nosed affectionately under my arm. Then something inside him burst. “He drenched me in blood, and fell dead at my feet.” Woodcock gave way to his emotions, and threw his arms around the neck of the horse. Friends were finally compelled to drag Woodcock away from Phar Lap and the stable.

The 'tonic', including nux vomica and arsenic, was written in longhand by Stan Boyden, (minder and float driver to racehorse Phar Lap, before and after his dramatic win in the 1930 Melbourne Cup), in his black book. It was administered to him by Phar Lap's strapper Tommy Woodcock and trainer, Harry Telford. It was a tonic designed to enhance Phar Lap's natural ability. Telford, who had a brother who was a chemist, was also in dispute with owner Dick Davis at the time and remained in Australia, so there is no mention in his diary of what he might have recommended for Phar Lap on the trip to the US. Some of the staple ingredients included arsenic and strychnine, both deadly poisons if used incorrectly, as well as cocaine and caffeine, and a popular tonic of the day was Fowler's Solution, which was arsenic-based and administered to Phar Lap throughout his racing career.

It might also have killed him.

Shaken by the tragedy, and scared by the illegal elements at play, Woodcock kept his suspicions to himself and kept busy preparing another racehorse. One day later, 'The Brazilian' returned and entered the barn, evidently expecting to find someone else. Woodcock became quite agitated and hastily proceeded towards the door holding a pitchfork, however, he barely paid attention to his emotional outburst. With his right hand in his coat pocket, he entered the barn, and snarled: ‘Another word from you and I’ll drill you full of lead.’” Woodcock backed away, tripped over a hay bale, and The Brazilian stood over him. According to Woodcock, he threatened “an early visit” if he heard him “squealing”, then delivered his parting words. “I would have drilled you the night I fixed Phar Lap if you’d wakened.” Woodcock admits after this cold admission, he was “on the verge of a breakdown.”

EARLY ASSASSINATION ATTEMPTS

Phar Lap had survived two assassination attempts in 1930, both of which occurred days before the 1930 Melbourne Cup. The first attempt was crude: a truck rushed towards Phar Lap and Woodcock, as he was leading the horse in the street. As he pulled Phar Lap out of the path of danger, the truck came so close as to brush Woodcock. The second time, a car containing two men swerved around the corner and shot at the horse being ridden back from Randwick. Tommy propped Phar Lap against the fence and inbetween a lead pony, so when they whizzed around the corner they had a pretty awkward shot. They didn’t aim at his head, but down low at his feet, trying to cripple him.

The theory of poisoning was ruled out upon the racehorse’s death at the time, but it’s worth noting this was in 1932. Colic was believed to be the cause of his untimely demise, but rumours swirled for years that he was murdered. Accidental poisoning was also floated as a theory; the autopsy made note of Phar Lap’s red intestines, which was interpreted in a post-mortem examination hours after death “revealed severe inflammation of the stomach and colon” and that when the vet arrived at the stables too late to help, he noted that Phar Lap’s stomach was distended by internal gas.

The conspiracies stemmed from the prevailing belief among early-20th-century Australians that the legendary boxer Les Darcy's demise in America was the result of poisoning by American individuals during his pursuit of a world championship boxing title. This is another falsehood. Darcy died of septicaemia via a tooth infection. New research announced from the Melbourne Museum confirmed champion racehorse Phar Lap had most likely ingested a lethal dosage of arsenic hours before his death. This proves that Phar Lap had swallowed a large dose within the last 30 to 40 hours of his life, either by accident or by foul means. Experts from the U.S. Bureau of Food and Drugs conducted an investigation and determined that lead arsenate sprayed on oak trees on the ranch was spread by the wind and into the stable of Phar Lap, causing his death, and this appears the best reasoning.

However, there was another story told to a New Zealander by Tommy Woodcock in 1982. Driving down the road they spotted this paddock of lucerne. They took Phar Lap off the float and gave him a big feed of lucerne. He got a crook guts that night and died the next day. They panicked so they came up with the story that the horse was poisoned, to cover their butts. Lucerne is pretty violent in dairy cows and certainly in a horse that hasn't had any green feed for a while. This would explain the intestinal damage and bloating. Woodcock told Melbourne's Herald-Sun newspaper in 1983 that he had a theory about the reason for Phar Lap's death but he refused to reveal it. "There was another possible way he died. But I don't want to say because I don't know for sure,” he said.

Phar Lap's remains are spread all over the place today, as his mounted hide is displayed at The Melbourne Museum, his skeleton at Te Papa, The Museum of New Zealand and his heart is on display at The National Museum of Australia. But it is the heart that gets most of the attention. Phar Lap's heart weighed just over 14 pounds (6.35kg), or twice as large as a standard Thoroughbred's pumper. Some say this is the major reason why this horse was so great, but some say it was not the size of the heart, but the quality of it.