Nowra First Past Post For Top Race

Illawarra Mercury

Saturday October 4, 2008

By CHRIS ROOTS

NOWRA and the Melbourne Cup will always be linked by Archer.

The winner of the first two Melbourne Cups was trained at Terara near Nowra by the legendary Etienne de Mestre, who won Australia's biggest race five times.

Legend has it that Archer walked from Nowra to Melbourne before winning the Melbourne Cup. But records show Archer took the steamer, the City Of Sydney, for his journey south.

He won the first Melbourne Cup by six lengths in 1861 and returned for victory the following year.

Nowra racecourse carries his name today but the winning post recognises a link with another winner more than 100 years later - Arwon. The name of the 1978 champion is Nowra spelt backwards and was inspired by one of his part owners, Jack Watson, who lived in the South Coast town.

No Australian town has closer links with the Melbourne Cup - a fact recognised by the Melbourne Cup Trophy Tour which made a stop there yesterday.

"The visit provides a fantastic opportunity for our community to get up close to this national icon and celebrate Nowra's significant contribution to the historic Melbourne Cup," Shoalhaven City Turf Club secretary Lynn Locke said.

© 2008 Illawarra Mercury

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