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Bert Honeychurch, one of country racing’s greatest trainers, has died at the age of 94.

Honeychurch passed away on Melbourne Cup day in Berrigan, his home town on the NSW/Victorian border where he trained more than 2000 winners in a career that began in 1946.

A former jockey, Honeychurch's training record spanned almost 40 years and was at its height in the 1960s and 70s when he won 14 South Districts Racing Association training premierships and prepared more than 100 winners every season.

He also made his mark with his horses in the highest ranks, winning races on all metropolitan tracks in Melbourne.

His best horses included Myzami, crack sprinter Maritana, dual Wagga Cup winner Double Cop, Melbourne Cup starter Red Hope, Honoured, Sovereign Rose and Gamut, who won 43 races.

Myzami raced in the early 1960s when he competed in Melbourne against the likes of champions Tulloch, Lord, Sky High, Illumquh and Dhaulagiri. He ran third to llumquh in the Williamtown Cup, third behind Sky High in the 1960 Victoria Derby and was runner-up to Reinsman in the 1961 VRC St Leger

Honeychurch twice trained all six winners on the program at Berrigan, one of the few tracks in NSW where they race in the anti-clockwise direction. He won the Albury Cup Gold Cup twice and Wagga Gold Cup three times.

He retired in 1983 with the proud claim of having averaged a winner a week from the time he started training in 1946.

His late son Chris Honeychurch carried on the family tradition as a trainer after a brief career as a racing journalist, enjoying great success around Australia in the 1980s with the top class stayer Allez Bijou. Chris lost his life in a car accident in 1995.

Honeychurch was also the mentor of many leading apprentices including David Heywood, Geoff Duryea and Bob Beasley, father of current leading Sydney jockey Danny Beasley.

Heywood and Duryea have been leading southern districts trainers since the end of their riding careers.

Honeychurch was the last survivor of the four training legends who dominated racing in the NSW southern districts and north-east Victoria from the 1950s through to the 1980s..

The others were Jack Freyer from Corowa, Hal Hoysted from Wangaratta and Ollie Cox from Wodonga.

• Bert Honeychurch’s funeral will be held at St. Columba's Catholic Church in Berrigan at 1pm today (Monday November 9).