Editing Phar Lap (section)

== Early life ==
A [[chestnut (coat)|chestnut]] [[gelding]], Phar Lap was foaled on 4 October 1926 in Seadown<ref name="TheStory" /> near [[Timaru]] in the [[South Island]] of New Zealand.<ref name="TheHorse">{{cite web | title = The Horse | publisher = Museum Victoria | url = http://museumvictoria.com.au/pharlap/horse/index.asp | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070607004137/http://museumvictoria.com.au/pharlap/horse/index.asp | url-status = dead | archive-date = 7 June 2007 | access-date = 2009-04-24}}</ref> He was [[sire]]d by [[Night Raid]] from [[Entreaty]] by Winkie. He was by the same sire as the [[Melbourne Cup]] winner [[Nightmarch]]. Phar Lap was a brother to seven other horses, Fortune's Wheel, Nea Lap (won 5 races), Nightguard, All Clear, Friday Night, Te Uira and Raphis, none of which won a principal (stakes) race. He was a half-brother to another four horses, only two of which were able to win any races at all.<ref name="Pring">Pring, Peter; ''Analysis of Champion Racehorses'', The Thoroughbred Press, Sydney, 1977, {{ISBN|0-908133-00-6}}</ref>

Sydney trainer Harry Telford persuaded American businessman David J. Davis to buy the colt at auction, based on his pedigree. Telford's brother Hugh, who lived in New Zealand, was asked to bid up to 190 [[Guinea (British coin)|guineas]] at the 1928 [[Karaka, New Zealand|Trentham Yearling Sales]]. When the horse was obtained for a mere 160 guineas, he thought it was a great bargain until the colt arrived in Australia. The horse was gangly, his face was covered with warts, and he had an awkward gait. Davis was furious when he saw the colt as well, and refused to pay to train the horse. Telford had not been particularly successful as a trainer, and Davis was one of his few remaining owners. To placate Davis, he agreed to train the horse for nothing, in exchange for a two-thirds share of any winnings.<ref name="Phar Lap 1926-1932">{{cite web|url=http://tpo.tepapa.govt.nz/ViewTopicExhibitDetail.asp?ExhibitID=0x000a3af4&ExhibitionID=0x000a39ba&Language=English&dumbyparam=search|title=Phar Lap (1926–1932)|publisher=Te Papa|page=2|access-date=2009-04-24}}</ref> Telford leased the horse for three years and was eventually sold joint ownership by Davis.<ref name="Phar Lap 1926-1932" />

Although standing a winning racehorse at stud could be quite lucrative, Telford gelded Phar Lap anyway, hoping the colt would concentrate on racing.