SCENE ONE: Death of Pharlap.

SCRIPT Radio Caller: (Voiceover) Radio Speaker: This is Darnleigh Radio Network. Today the turf world is in tears. Pharlap who some say was the best horse ever is dead. The Governor of California has asked all international agencies to work together to seek the cause of Pharlaps death. An autopsy has shown that arsenic trioxide was found in the horses blood and liver. Another autopsy concluded nothing like this. Nobody knows how Pharlap died and probably never will. Reporter One: Mr Telford, can I have a few words about the tragedy? Harry Telford: Leave me alone! Reporter Two: Well, do you think he was poisoned? Harry Telford: What does it matter? He is dead. Reporter Three: Why do you think there has been such an incredible reaction to Pharlaps death, after all he was just a horse? Harry Telford: He wasnt just a horse, he was the best. Let me tell you about him. Spot on Reporter Three in audience, stage right Spot on Reporter Two in audience, middle aisle Lighting/Positioning Three reporters are in the audience on steps. Telford- enters from prompt upstage and stands centre stage. BACKDROP/MUSIC PROJECTOR: March 1932 Newspaper Headlinesabout death of Pharlap

Spot on Reporter One in audience, stage left.

Three reporters enter stage and exit OP upstage. Lights Dimmed.

SCENE TWO: Pharlap Arrives.

SCRIPT Lighting/ Positioning Lights up. Harrys girlfriend enters from PU. Harry and his girlfriend are centre stage. BACKDROP/MUSIC PROJECTOR: Sydney, February, 1923 VIDEO: Pharlap being delivered Pharlap with warts

Girlfriend: He is a bit skinny, isnt he Harry? Harry Telford: Hes lost condition on the voyage over. Girlfriend: But he has only come from New Zealand. Harry Telford: Well hes just a colt. Girlfriend: Why has he got all those warts? Harry Telford: Well you dont buy horses just for their looks. Girlfriend: I wonder what your American friend is going to say. Mr Davis: This is going to be a joke. Harry, youve got the real horse hidden around the back somewhere, yeah? Harry Telford: Hes got a good big frame. Mr Davis: Hes a cross between a sheep dog and a kangaroo. Harry Telford: He has got carbine on both sides. Hell fill out. Mr Davis: Sell him for the best price you can get. Harry Telford: Ill lease him. Sign him over for three years and Ill give you a third of his winnings.

Mr Davis enters OP upstage. Walks to Harry Telford and girlfriend centre stage.

PROJECTOR/ BACKDROP: Property- farm house

Mr Davis walks off OP upstage. Girlfriend walks off P upstage.

SCENE THREE: Pharlap in Training.

SCRIPT Lighting/ Positioning Tommy and stable hands enter from P upstage. Tommy joins Harry centre stage, downstage. Stable hands position themselves for dance. BACKDROP/MUSIC PROJECTOR: Image of sand dunes as Mr Davis and girlfriend are exiting and Tommy is entering. Stable background

Tommy: I dont think you should work him so hard. Harry: One thing I cant stand sonny is a stable hand telling me what to do. Hard work never hurt any horse. Pack your bags and get out! Harry moves to OP downstage. STABLE HAND DANCE

MUSIC: Bootmen Track. At end of dance Harry moves forward to greet stable hands. Boy One, Two, Three exit OP upstage passing Harry. Boy One: Boss Boy Two: Gday Boss Boy Three: Mr Telford Tommy: Boss Harry: What have you done to that horse? Spoiled him rotten. If anyone goes near him he rips your shirt off. Wont eat. Now get back to the stables and feed him. Tommys girlfriend: I wouldnt go back. Tommy: Better. Bobby will fret. Tommy walks forward to meet Harry at centre stage. They are joined by Tommys girlfriend who enters P upstage.

Harry exits OP upstage.

SCENE FOUR: Derby, 1928.

SCRIPT Lighting/ Positioning BACKDROP/MUSIC

Mrs Davis: Good afternoon Mr McKinnon. Good luck in the Derby. We are going to give you a run for your money. Mr McKinnon: Do you have a horse in the Derby? Mrs Davis: Yes we do. Pharlap. Mr Davis: Hes in it just for the run. Mrs Davis: We think he will win. Race Caller: (Voiceover) There has been a late change of rider. Pharlap will now be ridden by J. Pike. SILKS DANCE

Mr and Mrs Davis enter OP upstage. Mr McKinnon enters P upstage.

PROJECTOR: Crowd scene

Mr & Mrs Davis exit P upstage. Mr McKinnon exits OP upstage.

Jockey dancers enter from OP and P upstage.

MUSIC: Calamity Jane Overture.

SCENE FIVE: Pharlap is Famous.

SCRIPT Lighting/ Positioning Mr and Mrs Davis enter OP upstage. Reporters and cameraman enter P upstage. They meet centre stage. BACKDROP PROJECTOR: Headlines- winnings Pharlap a track Phenomenon

Reporter Three:

Congratulations Mr Davis on your horses win in the Derby. Reporter One: Mr Davis. Is it true that you always thought the horse wasnt any good? Mr Davis: No. Who told you that? Reporter Two: Well there is a story going around? Mr Davis: There is no truth to that. Ive had utter faith in the horse from the beginning. Reporter Three: Then why did you lease him to Harry Telford. Mr Davis: Because Mr Telford found the horse and I thought it was only fair. Reporter One: So I suppose you had a lot of money on him. Mrs Davis: We did rather well. Reporter Two: We need a photo to go with this story to show the horses success. TROPHY SEQUENCE: Assembly of trophies from P upstage and photo by cameraman. All exit stage, OP upstage.

Nine straight wins for Pharlap Pharlap- Greatest Horse Pharlap continues record winning streak Pharlaps earnings now 34,000

MUSIC: Background Music

SCENE SIX: Threats and Drive By Shooting

SCRIPT Voice Over: Lighting/ Positioning Dark stage, spotlight is on Harry centre stage. BACKDROP/MUSIC Sound of a phone ring.

Im telling you take your horse out of the Melbourne Cup or hell end up as dog meat. Blackout. Drive By shooting occurs. Old car crosses the stage from P upstage. The shooter aims the rifle into the audience. Stage is black except for spotlight. Harry enters P upstage and Mr Davis enters OP upstage and meet at centre stage. Spotlight on the pair. Projector: Melbourne, October 1930.

Mr Davis: We need to get this horse somewhere safe before they try again. You look after the jockey; Ill look after the horse.

Mr Davis and Harry exit the same way they entered.

SCENE SEVEN: Picnic at Flemington.

SCRIPT Lighting/Positioning Entire cast arrives at Flemington from OP and P upstage. Chatting, having fun, being social. Rag time music is playing in the background. Dancers position BACKDROP/MUSIC PROJECTOR: 1930 Melbourne Cup Rose Bushes MUSIC: Winifred Atwell softly MUSIC: Winifred Atwell.

PICNIC DANCE- Rag

time Voice Over: So the horses are lining up now for the start of the 1930 Melbourne Cup. BINOCULAR SEQUENCE Voice Over: And the winner of this years Melbourne Cup, in spite of his handicap, is Pharlap. Cast: Cheering

themselves in centre.

MUSIC:

SCENE EIGHT: Mexico.

SCRIPT Lighting/ Positioning Two Girls enter P upstage carrying a trophy between them. Move to centre stage. BACKDROP/MUSIC PROJECTOR: Mexico, January 1932 MUSIC: Mexican music in background.

Sombrero Girl One: Ladies and Gentlemen, the race we have all been waiting for Aqua Caliente. Sombrero Girl Two: This is the worlds richest race worth a massive $100,000. Sombrero Girl One:

Lining up today will be none other than the world famous Australian galloper Pharlap. Sombrero Girl Two: Some say his form is down. Others say Pharlap at 90% fitness will win the race. Sombrero Girl One: Look here they come. Lining up ready for the start of the race. Voiceover: Despite his injury and a huge handicap, Pharlap has triumphed again. What a horse! Mr Telford and Mr Davis enter from OP and P upstage and girls award them the cup. Boys exit OP upstage followed by girls. Mexican music is turned up.

SCENE NINE: Pharlap is Dead.

SCRIPT Lighting/ Positioning Harry and reporter one enter stage from P upstage. Reporter takes notes while Harry talks. BACKDROP/MUSIC PROJECTOR: Newspaper headlines about death

Harry Telford: Success bred hatred. 16 days later Pharlap was dead. Australia was in mourning. To this day his death remains a mystery, but the legend remains

the legend of Big Red.