Phar Lap 'ate poisoned grass' while vet at pub

Strapper Tommy Woodcock and Phar Lap in California.

CANBERRA - Phar Lap died after eating grass sprayed with weedkiller while his vet was at the pub, according to the latest theory surrounding the champion racehorse's death.

Canberra vet Graeme Pearce today said Phar Lap's former vet Bill Nielsen had told him the truth about the Melbourne Cup winner's demise over a cup of tea 40 years ago.

It's the third theory put forward this week on the mysterious death of the legendary horse.

A study by Australian scientists released this week found Phar Lap ingested arsenic shortly before his death, giving credence to speculation that he was poisoned.

And another story published in News Ltd papers today said the legendary racehorse was religiously given a formula containing arsenic and a highly toxic derivative of strychnine by his then trainer, Tommy Woodcock

Dr Pearce was a student of Dr Nielsen, who had looked after Phar Lap until his death in the US in 1932.

"We were just having a cup of tea one day and the conversation just headed in that direction and he told me more and more," Dr Pearce told ABC Radio.

"What had happened, he said to me, is that the local municipal authorities had sprayed that pasture ... (for) noxious weeds and that sort of stuff, in the vicinity of the stables.

"Presumably they didn't do this in a malicious sort of context. One of the guys, I think it might have been (stable boy Tommy) Woodcock, took the horse out for ... a green pick.

"He wandered away from the stabled area up onto this green area, it looked fairly good, and gave him a green pick, and of course that's where he got all the arsenic."

Dr Pearce said Dr Nielsen had made extensive inquiries of local authorities and was convinced there was no malice involved.

The truth had not emerged earlier because "everyone was so emotionally involved with the horse that they never actually got down to asking the vet his view".

Dr Pearce today said Dr Nielsen had felt partly responsible for the horse's death because he had been absent from the stables when Phar Lap ate the poisoned grass.

"(Dr Nielsen) kept a low profile because he felt he should have been there earlier," he said.

"He did feel responsible to some extent because he wasn't there when the horse fell ill.

"He'd gone into town ... to have a few drinks I think, or to socialise a bit."

- AAP