ABC News Online 25 Nov. 2009

Natasha  Martin / The Timaru Herald

The New Zealand town of Timaru has unveiled a bronze statue of its most
famous resident, Phar Lap, and is campaigning to get the horse's remains back
from Australia.
New Zealanders do not mind too much that Australia claims Russell Crowe, but
it is a very big deal when its trans-Tasman neighbour tries to claim Big Red as
its own.
"We claim first dibs and we've got to watch you Australians, you seem to like
claiming our Kiwi icons," sports editor of the Timaru Herald, Stu Piddington,
said.
Phar Lap's hide can be found at the Melbourne Museum and his heart is in
Canberra.
The Kiwis have his skeleton. It is in the Te Papa Museum in Wellington.
But Timaru residents want the world to know that the magic began there -
where Phar Lap was born in 1926. The locals raised more than $100,000 to pay for
the life-size statue of the thoroughbred.
Mr Piddington says the statue will have pride of place at the Timaru
Racecourse.
"You can't go anywhere in Timaru without hearing about Phar Lap. Three years
ago Derek McCarty, the president of the local racing club, really got behind
this idea," he said. "Last week they launched a specially labelled beer, a
souvenir edition, for $10 a bottle."
Heart and hide
Mr Piddington says the statue will be a wonderful tourist attraction.
"The trust that have built the statue also hope to have an equine museum," he
said. "We want the heart and hide of Phar Lap back, to go with the skeleton out
of Te Papa National Museum so we can have it all here. But that's a wee way down
the track."
Phar Lap never actually raced in New Zealand. The breeder thought there was
no chance for the horse because of the way it ran and moved. It was sold as a
yearling and left straight away to race in Australia where it went on to become
Australia's best known horse.
Phar Lap died mysteriously in California in 1932. It is thought he was
poisoned.
Timaru is making sure nothing happens to its precious statue. It is
surrounded by security cameras.