Metro and country hoops set for challenge

Craig Williams will headline a metropolitan team against a country side in a jockeys challenge.

Craig Williams and Damien Oliver will head a team of metropolitan jockeys competing against a country side at a twilight meeting at Flemington.

The meeting on February 9 will feature two teams of seven with all races on the straight course.

The Victoria Racing Club has dubbed the Sunday meeting Rapid Racing with the seven events run at 30 minute intervals.

The jockeys’ teams have been determined by premiership standings on January 1.

Along with Williams and Oliver, the metropolitan team comprises Dwayne Dunn, Ben Melham, Linda Meech, Mark Zahra and Luke Currie.

Harry Coffey, Jye McNeil, Daniel Stackhouse, Damien Thornton, Jarrod Fry, Dean Holland, and Jason Maskiell form the country team.

Denis Pagan, who coached North Melbourne to two AFL premierships during the 1990s, will be the coach for the metropolitan team while former AFL player and now talent manager and broadcaster Liam Pickering will coach the country side.

The first four placegetters in each race will receive points with double points on offer in the final race.

All gate takings on the day will be donated to the Bushfire Disaster Appeal.

The metropolitan team will ride horses with odd-numbered saddlecloths after a coin toss at the annual National Jockeys Trust cricket match on Monday.