NEWS
Cruz takes Flemington race for riding legends, English great Piggott second
Posted: Saturday, November 10, 2001
Tony Cruz, a multiple champion jockey in Hong Kong and now a leading trainer, overcame a squeeze at the start of the second running of the "Legends" race for former riding greats sponsored by Emirates airlines, at Flemington racecourse in Melbourne on Saturday. England's legendary jockey Lester Piggott, now 66 years old, was the runner-up.
The Legends race has proved a tremendous draw with the public, though no betting is permitted. Apart from very handsome trophies, the winning horse's connections receive complimentary trips to Dubai.
Piggott and his 150-pound highweighted mount, whom the announcer called Blue Pharaoh, appeared to be the easy winner of the half-mile dash, until caught by Cruz, who employed a great finishing burst aboard Mondial, who was toting 134 pounds.
"I was a lot further back than I hoped, but it doesn't matter now because I won!" Cruz said jubilantly as he returned to scale.
Third was New Zealand's Brent Thomson, followed by Geoff Lewis, Gary Moore, Larry Olsen, Linda Jones, a New Zealander who became the first woman to gain a jockey's licence in Australia, and last year's winner New Zealand's legendary Bob Skelton.—Delamere Usher
