The Australian Turf Club will formally donate $45,000 to the Mark Hughes Foundation at a special raceday at Royal Randwick.

The funds were raised by ATC from several initiatives at the recent Sydney Racing Carnival in Autumn, including the sale of souvenir Longines Golden Slipper and The Championships Pins, on course charity collections and proceeds from the sale of saddle clothes from several feature races.

A cheque will be presented to Mark Hughes Foundation on Matt Callander Raceday Saturday 23 June at a sold out charity function in the Royal Randwick Ballroom.

The Mark Hughes Foundation, formed by the former Newcastle Knights player, raises funds and awareness to promote research and to support brain cancer patients and their families.

Saturday’s inaugural Matt Callander Raceday at Royal Randwick will be attended by NSW Blues players on the eve of State Of Origin Game II and comes just weeks after the MHF’s hugely successful Beanie For Brain Cancer NRL round.

Australian Turf Club Chairman Laurie Macri said the donation was part of the Club’s ongoing support of the Mark Hughes Foundation, following a previous donation from the Club’s share of prizemoney after running third in the inaugural The Everest with Brave Smash last year.

“The Mark Hughes Foundation is a wonderful cause and we thank many of our customers, Members and racing industry participants for their generosity in helping us to raise these latest funds,’’ Mr Macri said.