A TRIBUTE was paid yesterday to one of the most respected figures on the northern horse racing scene.

Redcar Racecourse staged a race to honour racing journalist Matt Seymour, who has worked for The Northern Echo since 1953.

Matt began as a junior clerk but became racing correspondent for The Northern Echo's sister paper, The Evening Despatch, in 1981. He later took his tipping skills to The Northern Echo, retiring in 1998 after a heart attack.

Since then, Matt has continued to work voluntarily as a racecourse ambassador for the paper.

The Matt Seymour Friend of Racing in the North Maiden Stakes was the 3.45pm race at Redcar yesterday.

Matt was then presented with a clock on behalf of Redcar Racecourse by The Northern Echo's editor, Peter Barron, who said: "Even in retirement, Matt has been a wonderful ambassador for the paper and is undoubtedly one of the nicest and most professional people I've been privileged to work with."