Phar Lap Of Honour

His name (in Thai) meant Lightning Flash
And cheered the years of slump and crash.
No horse from the Antipodes
Has ever won with equal ease
Though gangly and of awkward gait.
The papers loved to celebrate
His many silver cups and pots
Of gold, which led to gangster plots.

His early death (disputed, but,
Of poison or a twisted gut)
Left street name, film and postage stamp,
Plus statues, to recall this champ
Whose bones New Zealand holds with pride
While Oz retains his heart and hide,
Yet nothing fills the mighty gap
Caused by the passing of Phar Lap.

Jerome Betts


If you have any comments on this poem, Jerome Betts would be pleased to hear from you.