Peter Pan by Jessica Owers

The Melbourne Cup is Australia's most famous horse race, "the race that stops a nation", similar to the Kentucky Derby in America. However, beyond such horses as Phar Lap, Makybe Diva, and most recently Black Caviar, racing fans outside Australia likely do not know about a horse who raced soon after Phar Lap who may have even been greater than the 1930 Cup winner. In Peter Pan, Sydney turf writer Jessica Owers sets out to tell the world the story of the winner of the famous 2 mile race in 1932 and 1934, but due to poor timing, he raced under the shadow of Phar Lap and was soon forgotten.

Readers who enjoyed Laura Hillenbrand's "Seabiscuit" will see similarities right away. Owers thoroughly researched her subject over 3 years, digging through archives in order to piece together this accurate account of Peter Pan, who was to Australians what Seabiscuit was to Americans, a source of hope and national pride during the Great Depression. She covers the human angle of his story, through owner Rodney Dangar, trainer Frank McGrath, and jockeys Andy Knox, Jim Pike, and Darby Munro.

The book is written in chronological order, starting with the chance mating of imported English stallion Pantheon with Dangar's broodmare Alwina. She shows how Peter Pan quickly rose to the upper echelons of the Australian turf, winning the Melbourne Cup as a 3-year-old, in just his seventh career start. American readers will find Owers' race and workout accounts familiar to them, as Australian racing also clocks internal fractions, in contrast with Europe where such records are often not taken. Peter Pan was a consistent horse who could rattle off 12-second furlongs over long distances, wearing down opponents who lacked the stamina to keep up with his relentless pace. American racing fans will also recall that Secretariat ran in a similar fashion, and readers will see the similarities between the two great chestnuts from opposite sides of the globe.

Just as Secretariat had Sham and Seabiscuit had War Admiral, Peter Pan had a bitter rivalry with Rogilla during his 4 and 5 year old season, culminating in their epic stretch duel in the 1935 Autumn Plate, with Peter Pan holding on by a head. Although being one of few dual-Melbourne Cup winners in history automatically places Peter Pan among the greats, perhaps his greatest feat was cutting back in distance shortly after his second Cup, to win the 1 mile All Aged Plate at home at Randwick, setting a new Australasian time record in the process.

Sadly, Peter Pan could not continue his winning ways forever. Owers showed how the great horse, weakened by injury, was never the same, and arguably Rodney Dangar may have run him one or two races more than he should, before retiring Peter Pan to a successful career at stud. In the appendices Owers includes Peter Pan's complete race record, his 6-cross pedigree, and a map of Sydney's Randwick Racecourse as it was in the 1930's, his home during his racing career. A photo section including both color and black-and-white photographs is included at the center of the book.

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