h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

This brilliant NZ mare won the presigious Cox Plate for the 2nd time on 28/10/00. The last time a horse managed this feat was in the 1940s.

Sunline is now the top stakes winner of all time in the Southern Hemisphere.

I used to follow the American horses, but speaking of Phar Lap...I haven't been able to watch another horse movie since that one. So sad. Seems like I saw it right around the time Ruffian died, which broke my heart. I still don't know why they let her race that day. Was Phar Lap's story true?

Never destroy a good myth.

Philip, the horse known in Australia as Phar Lap, was so named because the Aussie racing guy who first registered him after his arriva in the lucky counry from Godzone (NZ) to become Australia's finest sporting hero (after Don Bradman and thw Great White Shark) got it wrong.

As did the American newspaper reporter when reporting the horse's death.... in the 30s equine sexual hijinks (GGA - Gee Gee Aids) was sadly under reported

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In this year's Melbourne Cup (2000) was won By NZ horse Brew. Another Kiwi ran third. They both come from the Waikato area mentioned in the article.

Thanks for all the good info. Somehow it's a little easier to take that maybe he wasn't poisoned. My "can I follow the horses" meter moved up a notch. However, Ruffian...

This year, 2001, the Melbourne Cup was won by NZ horse Etheral. The horse, a mare was trained, in a Melbourne Cup first, by NZ woman Sheila Laxon