Kerrin McEvoy has been honoured in his hometown of Streaky Bay with a bronze statue of the three-time Melbourne Cup winning rider.

The statue was unveiled on the weekend by McEvoy who was joined by wife Cathy and parents Phillip and Tracey while the 2022 Melbourne Cup was also on display as part of the celebrations.

The life-size statue was made by renowned bronze artist Ken Martin, who also designed the famous Makybe Diva statue in Port Lincoln, and it took the local community three years to raise the $125,000 to create the statue.

McEvoy, who won the Melbourne Cup on Brew (2000), Almandin (2016) and Cross Counter (2018) said it was incredibly special to be back in his hometown for the official unveiling.

“It’s a special feeling, quite a surreal feeling,” McEvoy said.

“It’s fantastic, Ken Martin has done an unbelievable job and it’s a very proud moment to have my family with me here today.”

Streaky Bay Racing Club committee member Samantha Kirby said the statue takes pride of place on the foreshore.

“The statue creates a point of interest for both locals and visitors, recognising Kerrin’s achievements and his contribution to putting Streaky Bay and country racing on the map,” Kirby said.

“His iconic wins, including three Melbourne Cups, are a cause for celebration and pride in our town and we’re just so delighted he could be here with us to unveil the statue.”

McEvoy’s extended family still live in Streaky Bay and have a strong connection to racing, with dad Phillip and uncle Peter both former jockeys while leading trainer Tony McEvoy is also another uncle.

Applications to host the 2022 Lexus Melbourne Cup Tour are now open, with communities across Australia and New Zealand invited to be part of the milestone 20th edition.

VRC Chief Executive Steve Rosich said the tour has generated hundreds of thousands of dollars for communities across Australia since its inception i