Reckless, 1977

Reckless was a personality as well as a wonderful stayer, and the same could be said of his trainer Tommy Woodcock, Phar Lap's strapper and companion. This famous photograph, taken before the 1977 Melbourne Cup, in which Reckless ran second to Gold And Black, showed the bond between horse and horseman. Reckless was a people's horse, and Woodcock a people's trainer.

"...He looked at Reckless and Reckless looked at him and without a word his big stallion dropped down and put his head on Tommy's chest. He reached up and tickled him under the neck and the horse closed his eyes and that was it. I took two pictures, that was it." -Bruce Postle