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Phar Lap vs Seabiscuit: Who Was the Real People’s Champion?
Phar Lap and Seabiscuit were two of the most famous racehorses of the Great Depression era. They raced on opposite sides of the world and never met on the track, yet both became much more than champion Thoroughbreds — they became symbols of hope for millions of people.
So who was better: Phar Lap or Seabiscuit? On winning record, Phar Lap has the clear advantage, winning 37 of 51 starts. Seabiscuit won 33 of 89, but his extraordinary rise from overlooked racehorse to American champion made him one of racing’s greatest underdog stories.
The numbers tell only part of the story. To understand why both horses are still remembered today, you have to look at what they represented to the people watching them race.
Phar Lap: Australia’s People’s Champion
Born in New Zealand in 1926 and trained in Australia by Harry Telford, Phar Lap became one of the greatest racehorses in Australasian history.
- Career: 51 starts, 37 wins
- Famous victory: 1930 Melbourne Cup
- Winning streak: 14 consecutive victories in 1930
- 1930 racing colours: Red jacket, black-and-white hooped sleeves and red cap
Phar Lap rose to fame as Australia struggled through the Great Depression. Racegoers followed him at the track, families listened on the radio and newspapers reported his every performance. His dominance gave Australians something positive to celebrate during an extraordinarily difficult period.
His 1930 season was remarkable. Phar Lap won on all four days of the Melbourne Cup Carnival, including the 1930 Melbourne Cup, and became known affectionately as “Big Red”.
His racing colours also became part of the legend. The red, black and white colours worn during his 1930 Melbourne Cup victory remain some of the most recognisable racing colours in Australian history.
Phar Lap died suddenly in California in 1932 at only five years of age. His legacy, however, never disappeared. His mounted hide remains one of Melbourne Museum’s most famous exhibits, while his heart and skeleton are preserved in other Australasian collections.
Explore the Top 10 Most Iconic Racing Colours in Australian Horse Racing History →
Watch: Phar Lap’s Historic 1930 Melbourne Cup Victory
See archival footage of Phar Lap winning Australia’s most famous race and understand why the victory became one of the defining moments of his career.
Seabiscuit: America’s Great Underdog
If Phar Lap represented dominance, Seabiscuit represented the underdog.
Foaled in Kentucky in 1933, Seabiscuit had an unremarkable beginning to his racing career. He lost his first 17 starts and raced 35 times as a two-year-old. Few could have predicted that he would become one of the most famous horses in American racing history.
- Career: 89 starts, 33 wins
- Horse of the Year: 1938
- Famous victory: Defeated Triple Crown winner War Admiral in the 1938 Pimlico Special
- Famous racing colours: Charles S. Howard’s red-and-white silks
Everything changed after Seabiscuit was purchased by automobile businessman Charles S. Howard and placed with trainer Tom Smith. Together with jockeys Red Pollard and George Woolf, they transformed an overlooked racehorse into a national sporting hero.
The defining moment came on 1 November 1938, when Seabiscuit faced Triple Crown winner War Admiral at Pimlico. The match race attracted enormous national attention. Seabiscuit upset the heavily favoured War Admiral and was later named America’s 1938 Horse of the Year.
For many Americans still living with the effects of the Great Depression, Seabiscuit’s story was irresistible: an underestimated horse repeatedly proving that he belonged among the best.
He completed his comeback in 1940 by winning the Santa Anita Handicap, one of the races that had previously eluded him, before retiring with 33 victories from 89 starts.
Inspired by racing’s famous colours?
Racing colours have identified owners and horses for generations. You can create your own jacket and cap combination using the Mittys online designer.
Design your own jockey colours →
Racing colours have identified owners and horses for generations. You can create your own jacket and cap combination using the Mittys online designer.
Design your own jockey colours →
Watch: The Story of Seabiscuit
Discover how an unlikely racehorse became one of America’s most celebrated sporting heroes and why his story still resonates with racing fans today.
Phar Lap vs Seabiscuit: At a Glance
Phar Lap and Seabiscuit competed in different countries, under different racing conditions and in different types of races, so there is no perfect head-to-head comparison. Their career records do show just how different their stories were.
| Comparison | Phar Lap | Seabiscuit |
|---|---|---|
| Foaled | 1926, New Zealand | 1933, United States |
| Career | 1929–1932 | 1935–1940 |
| Starts | 51 | 89 |
| Wins | 37 | 33 |
| Win rate | 72.5% | 37.1% |
| Most famous victory | 1930 Melbourne Cup | 1938 match race against War Admiral |
| Remembered for | Dominance, courage and Australian racing history | Resilience, comeback and the underdog story |
Who Had the Better Racing Record?
Phar Lap had the stronger winning record. He won 37 of his 51 starts — approximately 72.5% — compared with Seabiscuit’s 33 wins from 89 starts, or approximately 37.1%.
But raw winning percentages do not settle the argument. The horses raced in different countries, faced different opposition and were campaigned very differently. Seabiscuit’s fame came partly from overcoming an unsuccessful start to his career, while Phar Lap became famous for sustained dominance at the highest level.
Other Racehorses Who Became Legends
Phar Lap and Seabiscuit are far from the only racehorses whose names became bigger than racing itself.
- Black Caviar (Australia) — retired undefeated after 25 starts.
- Secretariat (United States) — the 1973 Triple Crown winner whose Belmont Stakes performance remains one of racing’s most famous victories.
- Frankel (Great Britain) — retired unbeaten after 14 starts.
- Makybe Diva (Australia) — the only horse to win three Melbourne Cups.
More Australian Racing History: Records That Still Stand
Some of Australia’s greatest Thoroughbreds produced performances so remarkable that their records have survived for decades.
Discover Australia’s record-breaking racehorses →
So, Who Was Better: Phar Lap or Seabiscuit?
If the question is purely about racing record, Phar Lap wins the comparison. His 37 victories from 51 starts and extraordinary run of dominance give him the stronger statistical case.
But if the question is who had the greater underdog story, Seabiscuit is difficult to beat. He went from losing his first 17 races to defeating Triple Crown winner War Admiral and becoming America’s Horse of the Year.
That is why there may never be one definitive “People’s Champion”.
Phar Lap became a symbol of Australian sporting greatness. Seabiscuit became a symbol of the American underdog. Different careers, different countries — but two racehorses whose influence went far beyond the winning post.
Racing Colours Are Part of the Legacy
There is another reason horses such as Phar Lap remain instantly recognisable: their racing colours.
For more than a century, the jacket, sleeves and cap worn by a jockey have helped identify a horse and its connections on race day. Famous combinations eventually become inseparable from the champions who carried them.
Mittys has been making racing colours in Australia since 1907. Today, owners and syndicates can create their own combination of colours, patterns, sleeves and caps for the next generation of racehorses.
Creating new racing colours?
Check that your proposed design is suitable for registration before ordering, then bring your approved combination to life with Mittys.
Check how racing colour registration works → | Design your jockey colours →
Check that your proposed design is suitable for registration before ordering, then bring your approved combination to life with Mittys.
Check how racing colour registration works → | Design your jockey colours →
Planning your season? Visit the Australian Horse Racing Calendar for major racing dates across Australia.
Phar Lap vs Seabiscuit: Frequently Asked Questions
Still comparing two of racing’s greatest champions? Here are quick answers to some of the most common questions about Phar Lap and Seabiscuit, including whether they ever raced each other, who had the better record and how their careers compare.
Did Phar Lap and Seabiscuit ever race each other?
No – despite their fame in the same era, they never met on the track. Phar Lap raced primarily in Australia and briefly in North America, while Seabiscuit’s career was based in the United States. Both horses remain icons in the sport, inspiring racing enthusiasts and collectors — including many Mittys customers.
Was Phar Lap faster than Seabiscuit?
On paper, Seabiscuit’s fastest recorded time over 2,000 metres (2:01.6) is slightly quicker than Phar Lap’s best (2:02.8) — but they raced under different track conditions, distances, and weight assignments. Phar Lap was dominant over long distances carrying heavy weights, while Seabiscuit excelled in tactical, high-speed runs. At Mittys, we celebrate both legends through our range of custom racing silks and memorabilia.
Which horse had the better record – Phar Lap or Seabiscuit?
Phar Lap won 37 of his 51 races, including the 1930 Melbourne Cup. Seabiscuit won 33 of 89 starts, famously taking the 1940 Santa Anita Handicap. Both are honoured in racing history, and Mittys proudly creates gear inspired by champions like these.
Who was the fastest horse in history?
The Guinness World Record for the fastest racehorse speed is held by Winning Brew, a 2-year-old Thoroughbred filly who clocked 43.97 mph (70.76 km/h) over a quarter-mile at Penn National Race Course in 2008. In racing folklore, Secretariat is celebrated as the ultimate blend of speed and stamina for his 1973 Belmont Stakes win. Racing speed and performance continue to inspire Mittys’ craftsmanship in custom racing apparel.
Can I get memorabilia of Phar Lap and Seabiscuit?
While Mittys does not sell official, race-used memorabilia, we can create custom tribute pieces inspired by legendary horses like Phar Lap and Seabiscuit. This includes full-size racing silks, miniature display silks, printed flags, cushions, and other keepsakes — all proudly made in Melbourne. Explore our racing memorabilia collection →
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