Peter Pan (Australian horse)

Peter Pan
AJC Plate (1933) Randwick Stakes (1933, 1935) AJC St Leger (1933) AJC Cumberland Plate (1933, 1934) VRC Duke of Gloucester Cup (1934) AJC Autumn Plate (1934, 1935) All Aged Stakes (1935) (Australasian record) Rawson Stakes (1935) Craven Plate (1935) AJC Jubilee Cup (1935) AJC Spring Stakes (1935)
Honours
Australian Racing Hall of Fame
Last updated on 18 May 2009

Peter Pan (1929–1941) was a chestnut Australian Thoroughbred racehorse and stallion.

Background

Peter Pan was sired by Pantheon (GB) out of Alwina by St Alwyne (GB). He was foaled at the Baroona Homestead near Singleton NSW in 1929. His sire, Pantheon was an outstanding racehorse winning 10 races from 44 starts in England and Australia. Alwina did not race, but was a good broodmare.^[2]

Peter Pan was known for having an unusual colouring for a Thoroughbred. He was chestnut with a blonde mane and tail. Frank McGrath's wife loved Peter Pan for his colouring and racing beauty.

Racing career

Conditioned by future Hall of Fame trainer Frank McGrath, Sr., Peter Pan raced early in the 1930s during the Great Depression and with Phar Lap, Chatham and Rogilla, all household names at the time. Frank McGrath, Sr. and some others considered Peter Pan to possibly be a better horse than Phar Lap. Peter Pan was famous for winning the

. To win two Melbourne Cups is a rare feat, and this with his fine record gained him a place in the Australian Racing Hall of Fame. To date, he remains the only Melbourne Cup winning horse to win multiple Melbourne Cups in non-consecutive years. In 1935, Peter Pan suffered a recurrence of the illness that nearly killed him in 1933. Once again, Frank McGrath Snr. nursed him back to health but the horse was not his old self. Out of loyalty to the enormous public following that Peter Pan had gained, Rodney R. Dangar and McGrath agreed to start Peter Pan in the 1935 Melbourne Cup. The horse carried 10 st 6 lb (a pound more than carried by Carbine to win the 1890 Melbourne Cup) but finished 13th. He was retired to stud the following year.

Image gallery

• 
  Peter Pan at Flemington jockey Darby Munro
• 
  Peter Pan 1935 Spring Stakes jockey Jim Pike
• 
  Peter Pan 1934 Melbourne Cup
• 
  1934 Melbourne Cup won by Peter Pan

1933 and 1934 racebooks

• 
  1933 AJC St Leger racebook
• 
  Inside cover showing race day officials
• 
  Conditions & starters showing the winner, Peter Pan
• 
  1934 VRC Melbourne Cup racebook with train & turnstile passes
• 
  Conditions & Starters showing the winner, Peter Pan
• 
  1934 VRC Melbourne Cup racebook
• 
  1934 VRC Melbourne Cup racebook
• 
  Back cover showing race day railway arrangements
• 
  1934 VRC Duke of Gloucester Cup racebook

Stud career

Peter Pan stood at Rodney R. Dangar's country property Baroona, Whittingham, Singleton, New South Wales where he exclusively covered his owner's mares. His stud career was cut short when he broke his leg in 1941 and was destroyed. Peter Pan is buried at Baroona, Whittingham, Singleton, New South Wales.^[3]

Peter Pan sired the stakeswinners Grampian, Peter and Precept, who won the Moonee Valley Stakes and VRC Derby. Peter won the Williamstown Cup and placed 2nd in the 1944 Melbourne Cup.^[2]

Honours

In 1978 he was honoured on a postage stamp issued by Australia Post.^[4]

References

External links

• Australian Racing Hall of Fame
• Peter Pan's pedigree and partial racing stats
• Peter Pan 1934 Melbourne Cup trophy, National Museum of Australia