He was sold as Lot41, Trentham Sales, 24th January 1928 for 160 guineas.
2 weeks after his first race overseas, he died of a massive hemorrhage. John Longden said, "it was caused by DDT sprayed on the Tanforan stable grass. Signs were posted, yet he grazed. What is surely known is that like his name he brought light in the darkest of times and for that he will always be known as Australia's "Wonder Horse".
Phar Lap's untimely death from what was probably a combination of bacterial infection and arsenic poisoning while recuperating from a tendon injury spawned persistent conspiracy theories implicating organized crime.
However laboratory findings released in 2008 indicate that the horse had ingested a massive dose of arsenic 30 to 40 hours prior to his death.
He was sold as Lot41, Trentham Sales, 24th January 1928 for 160 guineas.
2 weeks after his first race overseas, he died of a massive hemorrhage. John Longden said, "it was caused by DDT sprayed on the Tanforan stable grass. Signs were posted, yet he grazed. What is surely known is that like his name he brought light in the darkest of times and for that he will always be known as Australia's "Wonder Horse".
Phar Lap's untimely death from what was probably a combination of bacterial infection and arsenic poisoning while recuperating from a tendon injury spawned persistent conspiracy theories implicating organized crime.
However laboratory findings released in 2008 indicate that the horse had ingested a massive dose of arsenic 30 to 40 hours prior to his death.