Tommy Woodcock was fortunate enough to become the strapper for one of the greatest ever - Phar Lap

Tommy Woodcock was born in 1905 at Uralgurra in Bellbrook, near Kempsey, New South Wales. He was the third of four children to Aaron Treve Woodcock and Annie Catherine Smith. Tommy had a lifelong fascination with horses, starting with the six in hand that his Dad used to drive for the Cobb and Co. Coach from Kempsey to Bellbrook. He would skip school and endure the razor strap as a consequence, but even at a young age, Tommy could simply not stay away from horses. Tommy can also be called one of those extremely lucky people. He starts life as an apprentice, aged 12, and wins his first three starts before being given “ a three month holiday to learn to ride properly” by the stewards. Tommy Woodcock first worked as an apprentice jockey for Barney Quinn, who was based at Randwick, New South Wales. Woodcock won several races, and worked as a jockey until 1927, when he was 22 years old. However, his size and weight increased, and he gave up jockeying in favour of being a groom and exercise rider.

The Great Depression hit Australian life hard in 1929, a year before the stock market crashed in the USA. Its effects on Australian society were devastating: in 1929, unemployment reached 32%. What jobs there were for the working and middle classes were of short duration, especially in cities like Melbourne. One way to escape from despair was horse racing, where individuals with limited job opportunities would invest their resources in betting. Consequently, a horse that consistently won would generate both public excitement and private resentment. Hence the brilliant, NZ bred Phar Lap would become all the talk of the country.

The esteemed trainer, Harry Telford, employed a specific training methodology to prepare the exceptionally tall and slender thoroughbred racehorse, Phar Lap. This methodology remained consistent throughout the entirety of Phar Lap's illustrious racing career. Into the Telford's life came Tommy Woodcock, who cared for “Bobby,” as Phar Lap was called, as well as several other thoroughbreds in the Telford stable. However, Phar Lap became so enamoured of his young strapper that Tommy was soon assigned to the colt full-time. Tommy's unwavering love, loyalty, and camaraderie were indispensable to Phar Lap's development as a champion. Horses that lack contentment rarely achieve their full potential. However, Tommy had to contend with the threats of shooting and the poisoning Phar Lap from unknown individuals associated with the bookmakers, as well as substantial bribes offered to him. £1000 to ensure Phar Lap doesn't win the 1930 Melbourne Cup, while Telford had received a £10,000 bribe offer. It also came to their attention that Jockey Jim Pike has been the subject of bribery attempts.

Woodcock was thrown to the ground when criminals fired off a shotgun from a car in an attempt to kill the great horse early one morning after the horse had completed trackwork and was wandering back to the stables with a pony. Thankfully the pellets ended up embedded in a fence post. After winning the Melbourne Stakes, horse, pony and Woodcock were shipped off the Cripps’ premises in the middle of the night to a property at St. Albans near Geelong. Tommy was handed a gun and Jim Pike went into hiding. For the two days leading up to the Cup, Woodcock slept right beside Phar Lap, while another horse, Old Ming, was selected to pose as the champion and duly stabled at Cripps’ Stable.

A crowd of 72,000 had turned out to see Big Red and Tommy had groomed Phar Lap’s coat to a burnished, gleaming copper. As Jim Pike escorted him to the starting line at a leisurely pace, the gelding was met with an enthusiastic ovation from the crowd. Gentle Jim never touched him and carrying the staggering impost of 138 lbs.(62.5kg) as though it was nothing, Phar Lap turned into the home stretch and cruised up to the wire, his ears pricked. Hearts that had been so tested by the Depression were swept up in a joyous abandon that shook the grandstand. But no heart sailed higher than Tommy Woodcock’s. Later that night, feeding Bobby sugar while cradling his head, Tommy told him that he was “the best horse in the whole world.”

Woodcock accompanied Phar Lap as trainer on his ill fated American journey after Telford relinquished the horse due to his commitmens at Braeside. Woodcock trained Phar Lap to defeat some of the fastest US gallopers in the rich Agua Caliente Handicap. Shortly afterwards, on 5 April 1932, Phar Lap suddenly died in Menlo Park, California. Always devoted to the horse, Phar Lap collaped at Woodcock’s feet and drenched him in blood .Tommy was with Phar Lap in his final moments. Telford blamed Woodcock for the death of Phar Lap and it tore open a breach between the two men that wasn’t mended for years.

After staying in America for a time following Phar Lap’s death and trying his hand there, Woodcock eventually returned to Australia. In May 1934 he was granted a trainer’s licence by the V.R.C., and he set up stables at Mentone. It was to prove a long and successful career in which he won many big races including the V.R.C. Australian Cup (Knockarlow) and the V.R.C. Oaks twice with (Amarco and Chosen Lady). For fifty odd years winners came and went, but it was one of his last, at age seventy that was the second greatest love of Tommy’s life. It was an extraordinary colt called Reckless. Tommy persevered with Reckless, when most people would have long since given up, as it took the colt 34 starts before he managed to win a race. It culminated with the six year old stallion, winning the Sydney Cup, the Adelaide Cup, the Brisbane Cup before finishing second to Gold and Black in the 1977 Melbourne Cup.

Woodcock maintained his exceptional kindness and renowned status until his passing. In recognition of his contributions to the racing industry, he was bestowed with an M.B.E. in 1979. Sadly, he passed away in April 1985.