SID Patterson's ghost will almost certainly be at the bikes tonight, beer in hand, hoping to welcome a new member to his exclusive club of one.

"Patto", regarded by many as Australia's greatest track cyclist, is the only rider to have won the Melbourne Cup on Wheels three times, which he did from 1961 to 1963.

Fifty-five years later, Geelong prodigy Leigh Howard, 19, will try to emulate the feat at the popular Revolution series at Hisense Arena.

The 2000m handicap, one of the traditional staples of the sport, is being staged for the 72nd time. It introduced Howard as a star of the future when he won it for the first time in 2005, aged just 16, by outclassing dual Olympic champion Ryan Bayley.

He won again last year, this time beating dual Olympic champion Graeme Brown, and has since collected Australian titles in the madison, scratch race and team pursuit to confirm his massive potential.

He also excels on the road, and will ride in Europe next year after the track world titles in March. He will also contest the madison tonight with Bendigo's Glenn O'Shea -- the pair are the Australian champions -- and maybe the derny race, but the Melbourne Cup has special significance.

"To put my name up there beside Sid Patterson's would be awesome," Howard said yesterday. "From what I've read and heard about him, he was pretty amazing."

That he was. Patterson, who died in 1999, won four world titles -- two as an amateur, two professional -- in the sprint and the pursuit in a golden era for Australian sport just after the war.

He was also an A-grade larrikin and bon vivant who would have greatly enjoyed the Revolution promotions, which cater for fans to eat, drink, have a bet and generally enjoy a night out.

O'Shea will also contest the Melbourne Cup, as will Brown, Australian track cyclist of the year Cameron Meyer, fellow Geelong star and 2006 winner James Langedyk and Malaysia's Josiah Ng.

The madison will also be a highlight, with Howard and O'Shea pitted against Brown and Meyer and Tour de France stars Robbie McEwen and Baden Cooke.

The outspoken Brown's colourful, aggressive style will provide an interesting challenge for Howard in both the Melbourne Cup and the madison. They have struck up a firm friendship.

"He's a character -- good to race against," Howard said.

"He's rough and tough but you've got to get used to that."

The program is expected to attract close to a capacity crowd of 5000, confirming that cycling -- on the track and the road -- is enjoying boom times.