Broadcaster Hodges honoured with NSW Country racing award

Veteran NSW country racing broadcaster Col Hodges has been recognised for his decades of commitment to the state’s thoroughbred industry, with the Simon Nivison Special Achievement Award bestowed on the central western identity.

The award was announced at the Racing NSW Country annual conference in Sydney on Friday, but in typical Hodges style, the man himself was not there. Instead, he was calling the races at Dubbo when the winner of the Nivision award was named.

The Murrumbidgee Turf Club at Wagga was named Country TAB Race Club of the Year (category A) and nearby Gundagai-Adelong Race Club was the winner of the same award for category B clubs. Deepwater Jockey Club was crowned with the outstanding achievement award for community and picnic race clubs.

On the track, Murwillumbah-based Matt Dunn was named the state’s premier country trainer while expatriate Frenchman Pierre Boudvillain was named the country jockey of the year. Jacob Stiff was the state’s premier apprentice last season. Leandro Ribeiro was the state’s premier picnic jockey.