The harness racing community is wrapping its arms around well-known horseman Tony Xiriha in his time of need.
A GoFundMe page has been established by the Conroy family to raise funds for the 56-year-old, who is battling prostate cancer.
Lyndal Conroy created the page after hearing of Xiriha’s diagnosis one day at the races.
“Tony has a battle ahead of him, including surgery to remove as much of the cancer as they can and then possibly further treatment,” she wrote on the page.
“As you can imagine, he will be out of action for quite some time and unable to earn an income and work his beloved horses.
“Tony has been a long-standing member of our harness racing community. I, along with my family, ask for you to dig deep and help support the X-Man and his family in a time of need.”
The fundraising initiative had already received more than $5000 in donations as at 1pm Sunday.
Xiriha, from Kyneton, has trained and driven over 200 winners during a long career in harness racing.
Click this link to be taken to the GoFundMe page.
