By MIKE DILLON
Bob Vance will ride against just about the best overall field of jockeys of his racing career, and he's retired.
Vance has been invited to compete in the Emirates Airline Legends Race on the final day of the Melbourne Cup carnival at Flemington, which will feature many of the world's greatest jockeys of the past five decades.
In the non-tote 800m race Vance will face Lester Piggott, former champion American rider Julie Krone, Hong Kong-based trainer Geoff Lane, England's recently retired champion jumps rider Peter Scudamore, Melbourne Cup-winning John Letts and former Kiwi Bob Skelton.
The Victoria Racing Club will announce the remaining five riders next week.
Along with Piggott, Julie Krone will prove a huge attraction in her first appearance in the Southern Hemisphere.
She is the most successful woman jockey in history and America's first woman inductee to the Racing Hall Of Fame. When she retired in April last year she had won 3545 races, which yielded $US81 million in stakemoney, and remains the only woman jockey to have won a Triple Crown race.
Geoff Lane was Australia's glamour apprentice during the late 1950s.
"I can't believe that back in December 1958, when I landed five winners at Moonee Valley, I was referred to as the pin-up apprentice.
"I don't think the women racegoers will be rushing to the scales enclosure this time - but you never know your luck."
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The track for tomorrow's Cox Plate at Moonee Valley is unlikely to be better than officially slow, soft by New Zealand rating.
The Melbourne weather has cleared but a Moonee Valley Racing Club spokesman last night said so much rain fell in the first half of the week it will takes days to dry.
"This track absorbs water magnificently and a lot of people are surprised the condition for tonight's meeting is only slow and not heavy, but it is very unlikely to get back to dead (easy) by Saturday.
"The only way that would happen would be if we got constant sunshine and that's unlikely."
Racing: Vance to face top field
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