Years of silence broken

PAKENHAM’S Ken Newitt spent much of his life among the top in the horse industry and one of his highlights was winning the Cranbourne Cup with Heza Natural in 1978.
Another important part of Mr Newitt’s racing career was a lifelong friendship with top Australian strapper Tommy Woodcock, who died in April 1985.
Mr Newitt described Mr Woodcock as the most kind and gentle, softly spoken person you would ever meet.
“Tommy would have children at his stables from the Spastic Society school at Aspendale and let them ride on some of the horses,” he said.
“I’ve seen the kids on the famous Adelaide and Sydney cups winner Reckless.
“That’s how good he was with horses that he could trust this powerful horse with the children.
“This was a fullon stallion that Tommy would use for pony rides.
“There’s also a famous photograph of Tommy and Reckless resting in the stable with the great horse’s head on Tommy’s lap,” Mr Newitt said.
“Reckless also ran second in the Melbourne Cup.”
Revelations last week that the Australian racing icon Phar Lap died of arsenic poisoning led to Mr Newitt asking to tell what he knew about the horse’s death.
Mr Newitt has provided the Gazette with a heartfelt insight into the last moments of the life of a great Australian racehorse and what was a tragic, but significant, moment in Australian sporting history.
Mr Newitt has kept his counsel over the years, but said, after seeking advice from others, and knowledge of the scientific information brought forward that he wanted to tell the story from point of view of Phar Lap’s strapper, Mr Woodcock.
His version should and must be recorded as vital information in the documentation of the great horse’s life.
See page 5 for the full story.