On this day: Phar Lap's death shocks the racing world

The death of the champion Australian racehorse was mourned by the nation – and shrouded in mystery.

On the morning of Tuesday, 5 April 1932, Phar Lap, the racehorse legend, mysteriously collapsed at a farm outside San Francisco 16 days after he won the Agua Caliente handicap in Tijuana, Mexico. He died in the arms of Tommy Woodcock, his dedicated strapper and mate.

As the news of the horse’s death filtered through the press the next morning, the nation mourned in disbelief. And even now, 85 years after his death, the memory of that day still lingers.

Phar Lap is an Australian hero not only due to his unparalleled speed on the racetrack, but also because he captured the public’s imagination during one of the most difficult economic periods in Australia.

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Article written by: JACKIE NICOLETTI