Phar Lap was one of the greatest racehorses of all time. He was born near Timaru, Canterbury, in 1926. Two years later, a New Zealand trainer in Sydney persuaded an American there to buy him.

The older Phar Lap got, the better he raced, winning 36 of his last 41 races. Three days before the 1930 Melbourne Cup, someone tried to shoot him. But they missed, and Phar Lap won that race too.

Phar Lap died in mysterious circumstances in California in 1932. New Zealanders and Australians alike mourned. Today, his skeleton is here, his hide is in Melbourne Museum, and his heart is in the National Museum of Australia!

Phar Lap’s heart weighs 6.35 kilograms – more than 1.5 times the weight of the average thoroughbred racehorse’s heart!