Leading Wodonga trainer Brian Cox has been killed in a truck crash in the Upper Murray which has left the racing industry in shock.
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Wodonga and District Turf Club president Kevin Richardson paid tribute to Cox, who won his hometown cup a record nine times and also won the Albury Gold Cup three times.
"His record with our club is unbelievable," Mr Richardson said.
"He started as an amateur rider with his father Ollie in the early 1980s when he was a teenager and between them they had a huge amount of success as trainers.
"Anyone who trained their hometown cup nine times creates their own legend.
"We're all a bit stunned with what has happened.
"Obviously our sympathies go out to wife Janet and daughter Sarah.
"He lived right on the course and always kept an eye on things."
His first Wodonga Cup winner was Rebel Action in 1996 and his most recent being Minnie Downs in 2014.
Cox won his first Albury Cup with Lucky Enough in the late 1990s before Ekalaka won the race twice.
But his best training feat came during the 2002 Melbourne Cup carnival when he prepared three winners - Cool Azz, British Buska and Mooball - the equal highest number of winners with John Hawkes for the prestigious four days of racing at Flemington.
He was granted a trainer's licence from the Victorian Racing Club in August 1959 and trained for four decades after also starting out as an amateur rider.
The Cox stables in Wodonga were named after the best horse he trained, Burmonga.
Brian was in the final stages of a three and a half year suspension following a marathon inquiry which concluded in late 2016.
Investigations continued into the single-vehicle crash, about 15 kilometres from the Bethanga Bridge, well into Monday afternoon.
Emergency services were notified at about 11am and police, multiple ambulances, Tallangatta SES and Talgarno Fire Brigade attended.
Wodonga Sergeant Cameron Roberts said the mixer rolled onto the Albury-bound lane of the Murray River Road.
"He's been heading away from Albury-Wodonga, and for whatever reason, on exiting the bend he has lost control of the vehicle," he said.
"He has been killed as a result of the crash."
Two WorkSafe investigators arrived on scene at 1pm and spent close to an hour inspecting the scene and the IVECO Concrete Mixer, which is linked to Baxters Concrete.
The Wodonga company was contacted for comment.
WorkSafe confirmed investigations were underway but would not comment any further.
Talgarno CFA member Graham Redman said the brigade attended for traffic control and fire risk.
"We've been on guard for sparks in case they occur," he said.
A road-block was later established at the Talgarno CFA and traffic was diverted down Talgarno Gap Road.
Talgarno Primary School was contacted so that arrangements could be made for students, as the bus route was affected.
The fatality was the second to occur within 41 hours in the Border and North East region, after Sue Churcher was killed in a single-vehicle crash in Burrumbuttock on Saturday.
