On 25 and 26 November 2009 Timaru celebrated a Phar Lap Festival, honouring New Zealand’s (and Australia’s) most famous racehorse ever. The highlight was the unveiling of a life-sized bronze statue at Phar Lap Raceway north of the township.The statue was created by Auckland based sculptor Joanne Sullivan-Gessler.
The life-sized bronze sculpture shows the horse in full gallop, ridden by jockey Jim Pike and demonstrating his famous 22-foot gallop stride. The horse gallops over a map of New Zealand with his front hoof placed squarely over Timaru, reminding the world once and forever that he was born and bred in South Canterbury (in 1926). The base of the statue is a water fountain which – so the words of the sculptor – brings the statue to life with the sound of water designed to emulate galloping hoof beats.
Phar Lap was considered a wonder horse that dominated Australia’s racing scene in the late 1920’s/early 1930’s with 36 wins from his last 41 starts. After winning North America’s richest race, the Agua Caliente Handicap in 1932, he died under suspicious circumstances just two weeks later