Phar Lap Page #7

and none of them look

any good to me.

Don't worry about it.

I'll talk to Dave.

I shouldn't have said

anything, Mrs. Davis.

I can understand how you feel.

You'll be right, Red.

You'll be right.

Did you ever go and see Emma?

No. Heard she was going

around with another bloke.

Oh, Tommy, you can't

give in like that.

Go and see her - and make

your intentions clear.

Go on. Propose.

Yeah. Reckon I might.

G'day, Emma.

Tommy! What are you doing up here?

I got a present for you.

I want you to marry me.

I don't know what to say.

Don't say anything. Put it on

your finger before you lose it.

I thought you were never

gonna get round to it.

Nice big smile.

OK, mums and dads now, please.

Cashy, Ian, what are you

two doing up here?

The boss sent us up here, Tommy.

The big fella's fretting

and won't eat.

He says you gotta come

back straightaway. Now.

But... what about Emma?

What about the honeymoon?

There's no time, mate.

Bobby's real bad.

Come on, we've got a car

across the street.

Wait a minute.

I've gotta tell her.

You pair of bastards!

Congratulations, mate. Good on ya.

Well, that's the end of Phar Lap.

They've given him 10 stone 10

for the Melbourne Cup.

What are they trying to do,

kill him?

If they have to.

Has any horse ever carried that

much weight in a 2-mile race?

Nowhere near it.

I'm a tolerant man,

Jack, as you know,

but finally I'm forced

to the conclusion

that McKinnon and his cronies

are a pack of pricks.

Maybe Mr. Davis won't let him run.

Yes, he will.

He wants the gold cup.

Telford got it last year...

...and he won't pull him out

because he needs the money.

Even the papers are saying

if he runs, it could finish him.

They're right.

It'll kill him.

Everyone says so.

Telford's getting a stack of mail

begging him to pull Bobby out.

You can bet your life

he won't take a bit of notice.

Keep on at him.

He just won't listen.

Then make him listen, Tommy.

Don't start again.

He's running and that's final.

You'll kill him!

I'll kill him? Bull!

That bloody horse is killing me.

Letters, phone calls, press,

telegrams - cranks abuse me.

Never had a minute's

peace since I got him.

Don't you care what happens to him?

Nothing's gonna happen to him.

You're the one who's gonna have

to face your conscience if it does.

It's not just up to me.

Davis wants that cup.

He can forget about that.

Boss, you know there's

no way he'll win it.

Oh, you're probably right.

No horse could win over

two miles carrying that weight.

So, if Mr. Davis agrees to scratch

him, will you go along with it?

I suppose I'll have to.

It's the only way

you'll give me any peace.

He won't win it, Mr. Davis.

I don't understand why

you're so worried.

If there's too much weight on him,

it'll slow him down

and he won't win, OK,

but you're talking as though...

He'll bust a gut trying,

Mr. Davis. Really.

I know him.

Kid, come on, you wanna do

me a favour? Cut the violins.

Mr. Davis, why do you think

he got up last week,

when he was crook and still won?

Why do you think Jim Pike's

never had to use the whip?

He was in a terrible state

after the race, Dave.

He'd still try and win

if his legs were cut off.

Mr. Davis, I know how much

you want to win the cup...

Not just the cup. We have

an obligation to the public.

He can still keep winning for years

in weight-for-age where they

can't handicap him out of it.

You're putting his whole

future at risk.

Tommy knows the horse

better than anyone.

Alright, alright, alright.

It's alright with me.

But you're still gonna have to get

Harry to agree, and that is...

He already has.

Ah, Davis.

It was good of you to come

at such short notice.

I'll get straight to the point.

There's a strong rumour going around

that your horse is to be

scratched from the cup.

His name is Phar Lap.

- Is it true?

- Yes.

Would you mind telling me why?

Because you've given him

an impossible weight to carry.

You mean the handicappers?

No, I meant you.

Are you implying, Mr. Davis, that we

try and influence the handicappers?

Yes.

I won't even bother

to answer that charge.

You realise, of course,

that under our rules,

you can't scratch a horse

without a good reason.

We have it on very good advice

that Phar Lap could be permanently

incapacitated if he runs.

Nonsense. We've been assured that

the horse is in no danger whatsoever.

Wait a minute. Excuse me.

Let me understand this.

Are you ordering me to run him?

- I'm requesting you very strongly.

- Oh, I see.

If we find he's been

scratched without good cause,

we can ban you and any horse

you're associated with

from ever racing in this State again.

Do you mind repeating that?

The race-going public

are expecting your horse to run...

His name is Phar Lap.

Horse's name is Phar Lap.

And I don't see why two owners

with a grudge against the

handicappers and the VRC

should deprive them of that.

I see.

You put a ton on his back

so that he can't possibly win,

but you want him there

to draw the crowds.

Very smart.

I'm acting in the best

interests of racing.

Well... you've finally done it,

haven't you, now, McKinnon?

If we scratch him,

he's barred from racing

and if we run him, there's a very

good chance of his breaking down,

and either way, you and your

cronies win it all, don't you?

I don't think there's any purpose

in prolonging this conversation.

No, there really isn't.

Take it easy today, alright?

Don't go busting your boiler.

He'll be alright, Tom.

If I see he's gone, I won't push him.

Thanks, Pikey.

And here's Phar Lap, number one,

in line for his second Melbourne Cup

being led out onto the track.

They're off!

And White Nose was one

of the first to jump out,

with Phar Lap beginning well.

St Mary away quickly

and so also is Koomela.

He's prominent but just

in behind is Carry On.

And then Concentrate, a bit further

back in the field, Madstar.

They're racing down

the straight for the first time,

and White Nose in charge,

leads by a length and a half.

Moving up on the outside, Koomela

is second, then Second Wind,

and Phar Lap running over on the

inside as they pass the judge

and go towards the side

of the track...

Coming down past the '3' now,

and White Nose on the

inside is still in front.

He's been taken by Second Wind,

and here comes the mighty Phar Lap.

Phar Lap is coming up quickly now,

behind White Nose,

Phar Lap is trying to bridge

the gap with White Nose.

Phar Lap on the outside,

coming up with White Nose.

Second Wind and Shadow King

on the left.

White Nose is holding Phar Lap.

This is incredible, he's struggling

under his big weight.

Phar Lap is starting to weaken,

it's White Nose and Second Wind...

Give it up, boy. It's alright.

...Phar Lap is dropping

out of the quick,

and White Nose is going for

the shot with Shadow King.

Phar Lap is dropping and White Nose

will come down to line before...

Crofton!

Excuse me.

- Does your offer still stand?

Rate this script:0.0 / 0 votes