Submitted by aarAdmin on Thu, 05/23/2019 - 00:00
Australian horse racing icon Phar Lap mementos proved popular with auction goers at Abacus Auctions Melbourne sporting memorabilia sale on May 19 with his 1930 horseshoes (lot 376) going under the hammer for $25,000.
This was the year that Phar Lap won the Melbourne Cup as the only horse ever to start the race odds-on favourite – along with a major race on each of the four days of the Victoria Racing Club Spring calendar, a feat never since replicated.
During his distinguished career, he dominated Australian racing – winning two Cox Plates, a Sydney AJC Derby and 19 other weight-for-age races to go with his Melbourne Cup success.
The two horseshoes (one front and one back) are contained in an original frame with a photographs of Phar Lap’s jockey Billy Elliot, strapper Tommy Woodcock holding the front shoe, a letter of authenticity from master farrier Dick Bell and a 1982 CD of Woodcock talking about the shoes.
Other Phar lap items to perform well included his 48th race – the 1931 Cox Plate – Moonee Valley Racing Club official program (lot 377), which sold for $14,500, and the 1930 VRC Spring Meeting official program (lot 370) showing the horse after winning the Melbourne Cup that brought $12,500.
Other Phar Lap items to bring good prices were his racing bridle used by jockey Jim Pike during the 1930-31 racing season (lot 365 - $9000) and lot 369 – the 1930 Cox Plate program ($7500, a race that Phar Lap also won).
