Australian
Screen

Clip description

Racehorse Phar Lap, led by strapper and trainer Tommy Woodcock, rolls in sand in his training ring. Phar Lap chases Woodcock for a sugary reward. A photograph of part-owner and trainer Harry Telford’s son atop the horse is followed by a still of Phar Lap after the AJC Derby victory. In a press interview Telford talks about Phar Lap’s racing success, total earnings and the origins of his name. Phar Lap wins the 1930 Melbourne Cup and jockey Jimmy Pike is interviewed after the victory commenting 'I don’t think we’ll ever see his equal again’.

Curator’s notes

Newsreel coverage of his racing achievements, departure to America and return after his death present the public face of Phar Lap, but the most moving scenes in this film are of Phar Lap at play, frolicking in his sand pit and chasing Woodcock around his enclosure. The relaxed Phar Lap 'off the field’ at the beginning of the clip is contrasted with his more familiar professional appearance on the track, consistent with how sporting personalities are generally presented in biographical documentaries. Phar Lap, of course, cannot talk but the commentary presents him as a source of hope and pride for Australia. The lively voice-over is similar to Frank Hurley’s humorous and informal style (see Jewel of the Pacific, 1932). The narration connects the audience with the images on screen in an immediate and intimate way, cementing Phar Lap’s place in the nation’s affections.