The brilliant stayer Arwon would endure a long and successful career culminating in a Melbourne Cup victory

ARWON was a New Zealand-bred racehorse by ARITZO from FAIR FLASH who won the 1978 Melbourne Cup. He ran in two more Melbourne Cups, finishing ninth in 1980 to BELDALE BALL and fifth in 1981 to JUST A DASH. Arwon had been successful as a two-year-old in New Zealand before being sold to an Australian group headed by former jockey Ted Doon who raced him in Canberra.

In New Zealand, he was known and raced as FLASH GUY. The young colt made his debut at Tauranga in late 1975 before finishing 2nd to LAVENDER HILL over 1200m at Pukekohe in January 1976. In June he would break his maiden in an 18-horse field at Cambridge but once transferring to Australia he found his absolute best.

ARWON secured a second-place finish behind VICE REGAL in the Breeders Stakes at Cambridge in September 1976, then commenced his career in Australia with a victory over 1200m at Canberra in January 1977. The name 'ARWON' was made from reversing the word Nowra, a town in New South Wales where one of the syndicate owners Jack Watson lived. The NSW south coast town of Nowra was the home of ARCHER, the winner of the first two Melbourne Cups.

He subsequently secured victories in his following three races at Canberra, prior to competing in the Graduation Stakes at Rosehill, where the promising thoroughbred achieved a third-place finish. In 1977 Arwon was on a roll, winning the Clyburn Stakes over 1500m at Rosehill before running second at Randwick with a light weight. In October he would defeat DANCE HUSSAR twice. Initially, in the Randwick Stakes and then in the Colyton Handicap, both contested over 2000 metres. Following this, Arwon, carrying a mere 51 kilograms, secured a victory in a welter race over 1200 meters at Warwick Farm.

From December 1977 his form would fall away, claiming two runner-up spots in Welter events at Caulfield and Flemington. Upon reaching the age of five, we saw a resurgence of the horse's former superb ability. ARWON opened his account by winning at Geelong over 1700m and in September take out the 2200m Seymour Cup. In the Metropolitan Handicap stepping up to 2600m, Arwon would play second fiddle to the brilliant MING DYNASTY but was lumbered with 59.5kg for the race.

Bouncing back as a fit and mature stayer, Arwon then defeated BIG SKIPPER in the Herbert Power over 2500m before a brilliant late finishing second to TASKAN in the Caulfield Cup in a deceptive and controversial photo finish where he charged hard to the line but couldn't quite nab the big grey who had stuck to the rail. ARWON would then run into a couple of champions; one being FAMILY OF MAN who defeated the gelding in the LKS McKinnon. His next run was in the 1978 Melbourne Cup where he would carry only 50.5kg but arrive in rock hard condition.

ARWON travelled back in the field and was still a long way off them at the 1200m mark. During the turn, jockey Harry White maintained his composure despite being positioned at the rear of the field, before 'cotton hands' skillfully navigated a path through the competitors, accelerating ARWON past the clock tower to demonstrate the exceptional closing speed we had become accustomed to. ARWON got home ahead of DANDELEITH by a half-neck to win, with a time of 3:24.3, with KARU in third place.

Arwon was initially trained by John Morrissey in Canberra before being sent to Victorian trainer George Hanlon, who prepared him for his Melbourne Cup victory. Hanlon also trained the Cup winners PIPING LANE (1972) and BLACK KNIGHT (1984). White said Arwon was underrated. "He was a great horse. I said to George before the Melbourne Cup he was the closest thing I've seen to a good thing in a major race."

In December, ARWON journeyed to Perth, where he secured second place in all three contests at Ascot, including the Cox Stakes and the 3200m Perth Cup, consistently trailing home to his W.A nemesis, MELIADOR. Resuming in March 1979, he would finish down field in the Australian Cup (Dulcify) and Alistar Clark Stakes (Family Of Man). The Autumn campaign concluded with two third place finishes in the Queen Elizabeth and Sydney Cup, won by DOUBLE CENTURY. His six-year-old preparation would only involve five runs and at this point the hard graft in those big races were starting to take its toll.

He also won the 1980 Group 2 VATC Sandown Cup at age Seven, (now Sandown Classic), where he broke a bone in his leg during the race yet still won. ARWON would win his last race over 2050m as an aging eight-year-old and perform admirably near the end of his career. Up against KINGSTON TOWN he would run 4th in the Caulfield Stakes, 4th in the Geelong Cup, 7th in the McKinnon and finish his racing days with a bold 5th to JUST A DASH in the 1981 Melbourne Cup.

Arwon started in 67 races, won 16 starts, was second 13 times and finished third five times. ARWON retired to a life in the NSW mounted police. He later lived at Gympie, Queensland, before it was agreed Hanlon could look after him. He was the Melbourne Cup's oldest living winner until he was euthanized in May 2007 at the age of 33 at George Hanlon’s Leopold property on the Bellarine Peninsula near Geelong. Until two years before his death, he took part in the annual Melbourne Cup Parade down Swanston Street, held on Cup Eve.

RACE RECORD: 67: 16-13-5

EARNINGS: $339,527

Graduation Stakes (1977)

Randwick Stakes (1977)

Seymour Cup (1978)

Herbert Power Handicap (1978)

Melbourne Cup (1978)

Sandown Classic (1980)