World Snooker champion John Higgins has been honoured again after a horse race at Hamilton Park was named after him.
Next Friday will see the Scot attend the course’s Scottish Farmers’ Market Day afternoon fixture, at which the The John Higgins Wizard Of Wishaw Maiden Stakes takes place at 4.30pm.
Higgins defeated Shaun Murphy in the world final at The Crucible earlier this month, taking the crown for the third time in the process. And as a result of that the Lanarkshire racecourse has decided to pay tribute to one of the country’s finest sportsmen.
"We are absolutely delighted to welcome John to Hamilton Park and to name a race in his honour in recognition of his fantastic achievement in winning the World Snooker Championship for a third time earlier this month,” Vivien Kyles, chief-executive at Hamilton Park, was quoted as saying by The Hamilton Advertiser.
“Scottish world champions deserve to be celebrated especially when one has demonstrated the determination and dedication as shown by John throughout his career.
“Snooker has a strong following in Scotland and particularly in Lanarkshire so we are sure this news will be well received by the local and wider community as it was when we welcomed then-World Snooker Champion Graeme Dott in 2006.
“I hope we are able to issue many more similar invitations to future Scottish world champions in the seasons ahead.”