Tom, who died suddenly in March aged 52, leaving friends and colleagues devastated, was a racing aficionado, with National Hunt his favoured discipline and counted the track as one of his favourite venues.

Today’s five-runner Tom Richmond Memorial Handicap Hurdle (3.40) will be run at a fraction over three miles and includes Oliver Sherwood’s veteran Kansas City Chief - a dual winner at Cheltenham last season and the mount of Victoria Malzeard along with Nicky Richards’ Caius Marcius which will be ridden by champion jockey Brian Hughes.

Jockey Henry Brooke, a rider Tom interviewed down the years, rides Brian Ellison’s Snookered with Gillian Boanos’ Teescomponents Lad and Hillview for the Gary Hanmer stable completing the field for what looks set to be a competitive race.

Remembered: Tom Richmond, former racing correspondent of the Yorkshire Post, who died suddenly in March, has a race named after him at Wetherby on Wednesday.

In addition, Wetherby officials are also planning to unveil a bench in Tom’s memory - as York did earlier in the summer - which they plan to locate outside the Weighing Room.

Tom’s sister Lizzie, his father and former colleagues from The Yorkshire Post and other newspapers where he worked are also expected to attend the ceremony today.

Wetherby’s chief executive and clerk of the course Jonjo Sanderson said: “We wanted to recognise Tom’s contribution to Wetherby and the wider Yorkshire racing scene. I’d like to think Wetherby was one of his favourite racecourses, I know Aintree was up there but I do think he had a soft spot for Wetherby.

“He was here an awful lot of the time and you always knew where you could find him - standing on the steps outside the weighing room – and he was so kind and helpful to me and used to give me little snippets he’d heard from various trainers or jockeys. I was truly devastated when I heard the news. It was just so untimely and tragic for his family, friends and colleagues.

“He did an awful lot for us and we wanted to recognise that. His family have been very supportive and we have named one of the races after him and we have got a bench to present to his family and colleagues which will be outside the Weighing Room, where Tom spent a lot of his time, in perpetuity.”

Robbie Dunne believes it is time to "leave the past where it belongs" following his victorious return to action after serving a 10-month ban.

The rider was initially banned in December for 18 months, with three months suspended, having been found to have bullied and harassed fellow jockey Bryony Frost.

His suspension was subsequently reduced to 10 months and Dunne steered the Ian Williams-trained runner to a neck verdict in the Black Mountain Botanicals Handicap Hurdle at Hereford.

Dunne said: "It has been a horrible time for all parties involved and I am truly sorry for the unfortunate incident at Southwell. But it is time to draw a long line under it all and leave the past where it belongs. I just want to get on with my riding career now.”

Former Yorkshire Post racing correspondent Tom Richmond to be remembered at Wetherby Racecourse