Tommy Woodcock
Encyclopedia
Aaron Treve "Tommy" Woodcock (8 October 190527 April 1985) was the Australia
n handler of the racehorse Phar Lap
.
He was born at Uralgurra, near Kempsey, New South Wales
, in 1905. Woodcock served an apprenticeship as a jockey under Barney Quinn, who was based at Randwick, in Sydney. He won several starts, and worked as a jockey until 1927, when he was 22 years old. However as his size and weight increased he gave up jockeying in favour of riding work and strapping for trainers.
It was in this way that he met Harry Telford and the great horse Phar Lap. In 1929, Telford employed Woodcock full-time as Phar Lap's strapper. From then on, Tommy and Phar Lap were virtually inseparable. Before big races, Woodcock would sleep outside Phar Lap's stable, and it was said that Phar Lap refused food from anyone but Tommy.
Following on from Phar Lap's defeat in the 1931 Melbourne Cup the great horse was shipped to America, where he competed in and won the Agua Caliente Handicap. Shortly afterwards, on 5 April 1932, Phar Lap died suddenly. Ever the devoted strapper, Woodcock was with him in his final moments.
Woodcock continued to work with horses until his retirement in 1983. In his later years he achieved fame through training Reckless, a stayer who ran second in the 1977 Melbourne Cup
.
Tommy Woodcock died at Yarrawonga on 27 April 1985, aged 79.
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n handler of the racehorse Phar Lap
Phar Lap
Phar Lap was a champion Thoroughbred racehorse whose achievements captured the public's imagination during the early years of the Great Depression. Foaled in New Zealand, he was trained and raced in Australia. Phar Lap dominated Australian racing during a distinguished career, winning a Melbourne...
.
He was born at Uralgurra, near Kempsey, New South Wales
Kempsey, New South Wales
Kempsey is a town in the Mid North Coast region of New South Wales, Australia and is the council seat for Kempsey Shire. It is located 15 kilometres inland from the coast of the Pacific Ocean where the Pacific Highway and the North Coast railway line cross the Macleay River...
, in 1905. Woodcock served an apprenticeship as a jockey under Barney Quinn, who was based at Randwick, in Sydney. He won several starts, and worked as a jockey until 1927, when he was 22 years old. However as his size and weight increased he gave up jockeying in favour of riding work and strapping for trainers.
It was in this way that he met Harry Telford and the great horse Phar Lap. In 1929, Telford employed Woodcock full-time as Phar Lap's strapper. From then on, Tommy and Phar Lap were virtually inseparable. Before big races, Woodcock would sleep outside Phar Lap's stable, and it was said that Phar Lap refused food from anyone but Tommy.
Following on from Phar Lap's defeat in the 1931 Melbourne Cup the great horse was shipped to America, where he competed in and won the Agua Caliente Handicap. Shortly afterwards, on 5 April 1932, Phar Lap died suddenly. Ever the devoted strapper, Woodcock was with him in his final moments.
Woodcock continued to work with horses until his retirement in 1983. In his later years he achieved fame through training Reckless, a stayer who ran second in the 1977 Melbourne Cup
Melbourne Cup
The Melbourne Cup is Australia's major Thoroughbred horse race. Marketed as "the race that stops a nation", it is a 3,200 metre race for three-year-olds and over. It is the richest "two-mile" handicap in the world, and one of the richest turf races...
.
Tommy Woodcock died at Yarrawonga on 27 April 1985, aged 79.
Trivia
- Tommy had a cameo appearance in the film Phar LapPhar Lap (film)Phar Lap is a 1983 film about the Australian racehorse Phar Lap. The film starred Tom Burlinson and was written by famous Australian playwright David Williamson.-Plot:...
, playing an unnamed trainer. The role of Phar Lap's strapper in the film was played by Tom BurlinsonTom BurlinsonTom Burlinson is an Australian actor and singer.He attended Pittwater High School on Sydney's Northern Beaches and was the School Captain in his final year...
.
External links
- Tommy Woodcock — Strapper/Trainer on the Museum VictoriaMuseum VictoriaMuseum Victoria is an organisation which operates three major state-owned museums in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia; these are: the Melbourne Museum, the Immigration Museum and Scienceworks. It also manages the Royal Exhibition Building and a storage facility in Melbourne's City of Moreland.Museum...
website. - Tommy Woodcock's trainer profile
- Tommy Woodcock's story of Phar Lap's attempted shooting
- Iconic image of Tommy Woodcock with his champion racehorse Reckless