Men inspecting the horse Phar Lap

4 November 1930 Phar Lap wins the Melbourne Cup

Ridden by Jimmy Pike, the New Zealand-bred (but Australian-owned) wonder-horse beat Second Wind by two lengths to claim one of his greatest victories.

The Melbourne Cup is the pinnacle of thoroughbred racing in Australasia. It is widely regarded as the most prestigious two-mile (3200-m) handicap in the world. Having finished third in 1929, Phar Lap started as the shortest-priced favourite in the history of the race at odds of 8–11 (a return of approximately £7 for each £4 bet). Amazingly, he won on all four days of the Flemington Spring Carnival. He followed up his 1930 victory by running eighth in the Cup in 1931 under a crushing 68 kg, the heaviest weight ever carried in the race. rown Studios Ltd of Wellington

Colourised By Brendan Graham 2015 from an original black and white Image courtesy of the Alexander Turnbull Library.