Pharlap returns to Timaru - forever

Wed, 25 Nov 2009 5:12p.m.

By Juliet Speedy

Legendary racehorse Pharlap has returned to Timaru, this time in the form of a life-size bronze statue.

The champion racehorse, who died in mysterious circumstances in America in 1932, has long been involved in a tug of war between Australia and New Zealand.

But Timaru locals say he has now finally come home.

The Australians have Pharlap's heart and his hide and New Zealand has managed to hold on to his skeleton, but now the whole horse has finally come back to the town he was born in – with a half-million-dollar bronze statue.

Gerry Morris of the Pharlap Trust says it has been a big project to raise such a large amount of money.

“It is just so exciting to see it happen, finally. It’s been a four-year project and raising money in the current economic climate has been tough.”

The life-size statue shows Pharlap in full galloping stride with regular jockey Jim Pike on his back.

Auckland sculptor Joanne Sullivan-Gessler admits she was nervous.

“The thought dawned on me, the whole world is watching, this has to be absolutely right. So I’ll admit to a bit of stage fright initially.”

Pharlap was trained by New Zealander Harry Telford, whose 88-year-old nephew, Eddie, was in Timaru today.

He remembers the racehorse striding through the Great Depression.

“Pharlap had already won a lot of races, but when it won the Melbourne Cup it raised the spirits of New Zealand, and Australia for that matter,” he says.

The Timaru-bred horse won 37 of his 51 starts before his premature death of a mystery illness aged five.

Foaled in New Zealand, but with a career mainly in Australia, the chestnut gelding has long been tussled over by the two nations.

But now he is back here for good.

The statue has Pharlap galloping over a map of New Zealand with his front hoof placed squarely over Timaru, to remind those both here and across the ditch where this legendary horse's heritage lies.

3 News

Become a fan of 3 News on Facebook and on Twitter.