WHENEVER star cricketer Phillip Hughes was back in Macksville to see family at Christmas, he made a point of going to the Boxing Day races at Bowraville with his mates.
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Now, a race will be named in his honour.
Nambucca River Jockey Club secretary Greg Doolan told the Guardian an extra race would be added to the Friday, December 26 program - making it six on the card.
The extra race will be called the Nambucca Valley Phillip Hughes Memorial Cup and will be sponsored by the Macksville Ex-Services Club in association with Macksville Junior Cricket.
The cup will be a $15,000 1370m Open Class race and be broadcast on Sky 1.
Greg said he’d been in talks with Racing NSW, and both the State body and the local jockey club were keen to initiate a formal tribute to Phillip.
Racing NSW also agreed to upgrade the Bowra Boxing Day program from a non-TAB event to a Sky 2 meeting.
Greg also had discussions with Kookaburra, who sponsored Phillip, and the upshot is the cricket gear firm will supply a full-sized bat and a miniature as trophies.
Both bats will be mounted on cedar, with the larger one to become a perpetual trophy while the smaller will be presented to the owners of the race winner.