Melbourne Cup 1930 ─ How Phar Lap Won Australia's Greatest Race

The four days preceding the infamous 1930 Melbourne Cup are retold in this thrilling account. When Phar Lap, a celebrated racehorse, generated unprecedented excitement among the public, bookmakers were filled with dread?a victory for the favorite would cost them enormously. In an incident ripped from a gangster movie, a gunman tried to shoot Phar Lap on a quiet suburban street. With his life in danger and those closest to him terrified, the champion was spirited away to a secret location while one of the city's most celebrated detectives searched for the culprits. Even an hour before the jump, Phar Lap's whereabouts remained a mystery, and when he finally arrived at the track, the huge crowd cheered him on. Research from horseracing experts and through interviews with eyewitnesses make up this chronicle of the tremendous race in this gripping sports history.

Geoff Armstrong is the author of A Century of Summers and ESPN Legends of Cricket and the editor of the rugby-league anthology The Greatest Game. Peter Thompson is a sports commentator. He has contributed to The Age, The Financial Review, and Melbourne Radio's 3AW. They are coauthors of Phar Lap.