Phar Lap memorial

Press, 25 July 1986, Page 5

Phar Lap memorial

By

CHRIS TOBIN

When it comes to Phar Lap, Australians always seem to have difficulty remembering that the great galloper was actually bom in New Zealand.

Now to refresh Australians and New Zealander’s memories, two Temuka men, Messrs Trever Port and Evan Blackler, have launched a plan to erect a statue of Phar Lap on the Seadown farmland near Timaru where the champion horse was born and bred 60 years ago this October. “What brought the whole thing up was that here in South Canterbury everyone has been talking about tourism recently,”

Trever Port said yesterday.

“The Aussies think a lot of Phar Lap so we thought it would be a good idea to put up a monument to his memory on the farm where he was bom.” Ever since the New Zealand premier of the film “Phar Lap” was shown at Geraldine a few years ago a myth has arisen that the horse was foaled in that area.

In fact Phar Lap was foaled only a short gallop’s distance from Washdyke Racecourse at the Seadown stud of Mr Alick Roberts on October 4, 1926.

The stud has since faded into history but Mr

Bent has been in touch with the present owners of the land, Mr Michael Gaffaney and sons, and they have agreed to give some land on the comer of Kereta and Seadown Roads for a Phar Lap memorial. Mr Port has written to the Strathallan County Council for planning approval and is also trying to think of ideas of how to raise money. Collections in hotels and at race meetings have been suggested. The memorial is expected to cost over $5OOO. “We want the statue to be built to the same height and dimensions of Phar Lap.