Phar Lap Page #8

- Sure does.

Look, there's not

a horse in the world

could have won over that

distance carrying that weight.

I'm amazed he even finished

without breaking down.

Let's talk, alright?

- Too many risks.

- What risks?

The voyage over,

going into their winter,

dirt tracks, different feeding,

different styles of racing.

Cashy!

If you take him over there,

our quarantine laws

are gonna make it bloody hard

to bring him back home!

Alright, I grant you it's a risk.

But if it pays off, Harry,

we're gonna have more money than we

ever thought we'd have in our lives.

Alright. Take him.

Great. We're gonna have to be ready

to go in about three weeks, OK?

I'm not going.

Wait a minute. Wait a minute!

What do you mean you're not going?

I got 40 horses to look after here.

Three of them are coming up

for their first race.

You have to go.

Who's gonna train the horse?

- Tommy.

- Woodcock?

What the hell does

he know about training?

He's a good strapper.

Best I've ever had.

This is not what I'm asking you,

I said, "What does he

know about training?"

You're gonna have to take

him with you anyway,

the bloody horse won't even fart

unless Tommy tells him it's alright!

Harry, I can't go to

the States without you!

I'm not going!

I'm sick of the sight of him!

Bloody horse has given me

trouble since I got him.

You won't forget to write.

Of course not.

'Cause I wanna know what

the Americans talk like.

What they eat, how they dress.

What they think about Bobby.

- Yeah.

- You gotta write everything.

I'll try my best.

Oh, I know you'll be busy.

Gee, I'm gonna miss you, Tommy.

Hey, Bobby's on.

Train's ready to go.

Go on, I'm not looking.

All aboard!

Here, come on, Tommy!

The bloody train's going.

- I love you.

- Ta-ta.

Come on!

Suppose I'd better go, boss.

You're the boss now, Tom.

One more thing.

Don't be too soft on him.

Good luck, Tommy.

Here's trouble.

Well, Dave. What a surprise.

Alright, don't bullshit me now,

Crofton. What's going on?

Dave, this is our chairman,

Baron Long.

- You're looking good, Dave.

- I'm looking terrible.

I asked you something -

what's going on?

Mr. Davis, please don't

get alarmed...

The minute I stepped onto that wharf,

there was a reporter there asking me,

how do I feel about

Agua Caliente going broke?

It was a very nice welcome back

to my native land. Thank you.

Just calm down, Dave.

Look, we got a little

bit of a cash problem

due to the current

economic situation,

but once our publicity

machine gets rolling,

that horse of yours is gonna

pull us right out of the red.

If I had known you wanted

Phar Lap as publicity bait,

I never would have

put him on that boat.

Do you know the risks

I've taken getting him here?

Mr. Davis, don't panic.

The race will be run.

You'll get your $100,000,

plus your expenses, plus your bets

and everyone will end up happy.

Sure, by the time the race is run,

everybody in America is going to

be talking about your horse, Dave.

Welcome, gentlemen. Welcome.

May I introduce you to

the lucky owner of the world's

greatest galloper, Mr. Dave Davis.

Thank you again.

I'd like to start things off by

introducing Phar Lap's trainer,

Mr. Woodcock.

His strapper, Mr. Martin.

His vet, Mr. Nielsen.

His jockey, Mr. Elliot.

And this beautiful young lady

here is my wife, Bea.

Now, gentlemen,

any questions, please.

Is he really the world's

greatest galloper, Mr. Davis?

Well, without taking anything away

from your great American champions,

yes, I truly believe so.

Have you seen the field

he's up against?

Yes.

Spanish Play, Joe Flores,

Cabezo, Reveille Boy.

Well, fine horses all of them,

but believe me when

I tell you, gentlemen,

they are no threat to Phar Lap.

Gentlemen, I have seen the

Red Terror race with my own eyes,

and I can sum it up

in one word - unbelievable.

Won't he have trouble acclimatising?

I don't think so. We've brought

everything to make him feel at home.

We've even brought his food

all the way from Australia.

Can we get a few pictures?

Certainly, gentlemen,

no problem at all.

Tommy, you wanna bring the horse

over here for the gentlemen...

That'll do. It's hot out here,

no good for the horse.

Tom, you wanna bring

the horse over here, please?

Don't forget to show his

hindquarters, gentlemen.

Please, it's very important.

Tom, where the hell are you going?

He came here to race,

not to do this bullshit.

The most powerful hindquarters in the

world, gentlemen. Get a good shot.

Tom, come back here, goddammit.

This is the National Press.

He should have been fed an hour ago.

Please, gentlemen. Plenty of

food and drink at the pavilion.

Did you hear that?

Looks like you've got

yourself a good trainer.

What is this Woodcock guy? The press

can't get near that animal of yours.

He's guarding him as if

he could eat straw and pass gold!

- We really need the publicity, Dave.

- I know.

He even sleeps with the horse.

What, is he some kind of pervert?

Well, can't you just... fire the guy?

If I did, the goddamned horse

would sit in his stall

for the next month and cry.

- When's he gonna gallop?

- In a week or two.

A week or two?

I'm bringing him up to peak slowly.

Harry would have been working

his butt off by now, you know?

I'm not Harry.

You're getting too smart for

your own good, you know that, kid?

I want that horse fit.

He will be.

Have you changed his shoes yet,

like the track vet advised you to?

He's been wearing the kind

he's got on all his life.

The track vet doesn't know

what he's talking about.

The track vet doesn't know

what he's talking about, huh?

You were told about the harder

surfaces over here, weren't you?

You were told he could

pick up a stone.

Well?

He'll have to be scratched.

No, he's gotta run.

I got him backed for a fortune.

Well, there's nothing I can do.

Half his hoof is hanging off.

Cut it away, Bill. It'll heal.

- Before the race?

- It'll heal.

Hold it!

Is there any chance?

It's possible.

Then do it.

Now, how are you gonna get him fit?

Walk him. I'll keep him moving all day.

You know something?

Harry must have been out of his mind

when he recommended you as a trainer.

And I must have been out

of my mind to listen to him.

- Mr. Davis.

- What?

Harry Telford used to train

that horse too hard.

If I can get him 90% fit,

his heart'll get him to the line.

The amount of faith you put

in that heart of his, kid,

it must be one hell of an organ.

There are rumours that the

horse is carrying a serious injury.

The horse is fit, totally fit.

Then why hasn't he been

out on the track?

What about all these rumours

that his hoof is cracked?

Gentlemen, Phar Lap has stepped

on a stone and bruised his foot.

- How badly?

- Wait a minute, wait a minute!

We put a mud pack on it

and we do not expect that

it will significantly interfere

with the horse's preparation.

- Then when are we likely to see...

- Thank you, gentlemen, that's it.

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