Letter From Phar Lap.

Just a note to say what a great champion Black Caviar is, 25 starts for 25 wins, have any other horse's in the southern hemisphere come anywhere near him, my opinion is NO.

I read an article some time ago that David McCarthy wrote when Makybe Diva was at it's best, and it goes as follows -

From; Melbourne Museum.

Dear Lee Freedman,

My fans have been showing me stories through the window that you never saw me win three Melbourne Cups and Makybe Diva might be as good as I was.

As my old boss would have said, Lee, Stone the flamin crows!

You didn't see me win three Melbourne Cups because I could not get into the third one with only 58kg. If I had, my old boss would have had me running in five and expected me to win them all. Would have avoided that trip to America that killed me, too.

When I won my cup, Lee, I carried 62kg, an all time record. Try running around that track at Rye with 4kg in your hands and you will understand. Even then I was only paying $1.75. That is how good they thought I was.I was only four, the same age as Xcellent, who was chasing you home with only 54kg. It was on a dead track too, Lee. But mine was only from rain. The next year I copped 62kg.

By the way, I won the Cox Plate as well that year. And all four feature races in a week at the Melbourne Cup meeting. If you had tried that with the Diva, lad she might have got up to half as many wins as I had.

More likely you would not have had a horse.

When the Diva was winning maidens at Wangaratta, Lee, I had already broken the world time record for Derby races, Twice.

I won 31 weight-for-age races, mate, as opposed to about seven for the great mare, in one of them I broke every Australian time record from 1200m to 3200m--- and I still had 400m to go. I beat the best sprinters in the country in the Futurity carrying 64.5kg. I had to do those things to prove I was better than Carbine, some old geezer from the dark ages they were always talking about. And I did it.

That is why I have more people come in here to see me every year than any crowd the Diva has ever had watch her. And I haven't been near a track for 74 years.

How many will be coming to see your photo in 2079, do ya reckon Lee?

There is also those overseas races. Me, one start for one win in one of the world's richist handicaps. First time on dirt( look what that did to Starcraft, mate) first time in a starting gate. Better than your seventh, huh?

I would love to come out to Flemington for a match race, Lee, but they won't let me out the door these days.

I am tempted to say "stuff you" like that New York geezer said to me when they fitted me into this thing.

Just remember Lee, great mare though you have there, people outside glass cases should not throw stones.

Kind regards,

Phar Lap.