Phar Lap is displayed alongside his impressive skeleton for the very first time in an exhibit to mark the 150th running of the Melbourne Cup and the 80th anniversary of his historic Melbourne Cup win in 1930.  

Deputy Premier and Racing Minister Rob Hulls announced in June 2010 that the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa, had agreed to loan Phar Lap’s skeleton to Melbourne Museum to commemorate the achievements of the legendary Phar Lap

“It’s great to see Phar Lap’s skeleton returning home after all these years. Big Red will again attract huge crowds to Melbourne, delivering an economic windfall to the State on top of the Spring Carnival events,” said The Hon. Rob Hulls.

“Phar Lap had a remarkable career as a racehorse and this historic display is a fitting tribute to his significant place in Victoria’s racing history,” said Dr Patrick Greene, CEO of Museum Victoria. “I’m sure this will make Melbourne Museum’s most popular exhibit an even greater draw card.”

“The timing of this generous loan from Te Papa is excellent, especially as we get ready to celebrate Melbourne Museum’s tenth birthday in October,” added Dr Greene.

The Phar Lap story is known to generations of Australians, from his string of victories during the 1930s to his mysterious death in the USA in 1932.

In June 2008, forensic analysis by Museum Victoria experts confirmed that the champion racehorse ingested a lethal dose of arsenic hours before his death.

Visitors to Melbourne Museum will be able to see items from Museum Victoria’s extensive collection of objects relating to Phar Lap. Also on view are Phar Lap’s registration certificate, saddle and blanket, and Phar Lap’s trainer Harry Telford’s tonic book.

In April Deputy Premier and Racing Minister Rob Hulls made the call to bring Phar Lap’s heart from the National Museum of Australia and its skeleton from the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa for a temporary exhibition at Melbourne Museum to celebrate the 150th running of the Melbourne Cup, as well as the 80th anniversary of the racing legend’s 1930 Melbourne Cup win.

The National Museum of Australia decided not to loan Phar Lap’s heart as it is too fragile to travel to Melbourne from Canberra.

Phar Lap’s skeleton is on view in the Melbourne Gallery at Melbourne Museum from 16 September 2010 until 31 January 2011.

In October the 1888 Melbourne Cup trophy will also be displayed in the Phar Lap exhibition until late November. The Centennial Cup, featuring three magnificent horses cast in solid silver, was won by racehorse Mentor, ridden by jockey Michael O’Brien.