120m Stawell Easter Gift Handicaps - 2009

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Stubbs fastest Stawell final qualifier
April 13, 2009 - 1:04PM

The Australian beach-sprint champion Aaron Stubbs is the fastest qualifier for Monday’s final of the Stawell Gift.

Running off a 7.25m mark, the 18-year-old from Lismore won his semi-final of the 120m handicap race in an adjusted time of 12.01 seconds.

The backmarker in the final will be Matt Davies off 2.25m.

The other four semi-final winners were Brendan Matthews, Paul Tancredi, David Tinney and Andrew Steele.

Josh Ross’s campaign to win a record third Gift final ended when he finished well back in his semi-final behind Matthews.

Ross is also the reigning Australian 100m champion.

The Gift final takes place at 2.17pm (AEST) on Monday at Central Park, with the winner pocketing $40,000.

If he can do it one more time, I reckon he can win. 12.01 will be hard to beat.

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Aaron Stubbs - 11.87!

Absolutely blitz them. Won by 2.5-3m.

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http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,25326976-14822,00.html

Don’t think he was one of the guys at seminar as he is only 18.

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Monday, 13 April 2009

Beach sprint champ favourite for the big one at Stawell

Australian beach sprint champion Aaron Stubbs is the favourite for the final of the 128th running of the Australia Post Stawell Gift following his emphatic victory in the semi-finals.

Stubbs punched the air as he crossed the line to win the sixth semi-final in 11.90 with a following wind of 2.1 m/s.

The osteopathy student from Lismore will run off a mark of 7.25m and is now the $1.40 firm favourite to take out the $40,000 winners prize which will be run today at 1:43pm.

There will be a field of five in the final, following the late scratching of Canberra schoolboy Brendan Matthews (7m), who injured his hamstring when winning the first semi-final in 12.07 (wind +1.0m/s).

2009 Keilor Gift winner Paul Tancredi (8.75m) proved his fast heat run was no fluke as he easily won the second semi-final in 12.11 (-0.1). The bookmakers have installed him as second favourite at $5.

Former swimwear model David Tinney will need to improve his start in the final if he is to threaten Stubbs. Tinney, who will start the final off the frontmark of 10m, recovered from a poor start but still posted a time of 12.09 (+1.6).

South Australian architect Andrew Steele (8.25m), one of the early favourites for the final after Saturday’s heats, also had a shaky start to win his semi-final by more than a metre in 12.23 (+0.8).

National sprint medallist Matt Davies will be the backmarker in the final after storming home in his semi-final with an impressive run off 2.25m. He crossed the line in 12.33 and will need to find a few more meters if he is a chance of winning the coveted prize.

The Australia Post Stawell Gift Final will be telecast live on Network 10 and ABC Radio from 12pm - 2pm, and all day on the live webcast at www.stawellgift.com

The 128th running of the Australia Post Stawell Gift will be held at 1.43pm.

Australia post Stawell Gift finalists are

Colour Athlete Mark Odds*

Red Matt Davies (2.25m) $21

White Brendan Matthews (7m) - SCRATCHED

Blue Aaron Stubbs (7.25m) $1.40

Yellow Andrew Steele (8.25) $7

Green Paul Tancredi (8.75m) $5

Pink David Tinney (10m) $6

*Odds quoted immediately after the completion of the semi-finals.

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By John Salvado
STAWELL, Vic, April 13 AAP - Australian beach sprint champion Aaron Stubbs raced to a commanding victory in the 128th edition of the Stawell Gift on Monday.
Racing off a mark of 7.25m, the 18-year-old from Lismore had rounded up the frontmarkers by the midway stage of the rich 120m handicap event before streaking clear to win in an adjusted time of 11.93 seconds.
Paul Tancredi was second in 12.10 and backmarker Matt Davies was third in 12.14.
Stubbs pocketed $40,000 for the victory and then set his sights on winning a place in the 200m at the 2012 London Olympics.
It's more about the race (than the money),'' said Stubbs. This is one of the most premier races that Australian athletes do and I’ve finally got it.’’
Stubbs, whose father Paul was second in his Gift heat on Saturday, looked super-confident before the race, waving to his supporters in the crowd at Central Park.
I think on the outside you should always try and show what you're feeling on the inside,'' he said. Stubbs is coached by Ryan Hoffman who has raced at Stawell regularly in the last 15 years. I did my trials and I trialed at 12.40 (seconds),’’ said Stubbs.
Ryan was saying you have to trail at 11.8. I guess so much is how it happens on the day that matters.’’

Hoffman said Stubbs gained plenty of confidence from winning four gold medals in the senior and under-19 beach sprints and relays at last month’s national surf lifesaving championships in Perth.
Josh Ross’s bid to win a record third Gift crown ended when he was eliminated in the semi-finals earlier on Monday.
Trisha Greaves won the women’s Gift final in 13.60, with Tamsyn Lewis second in 13.82.

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Anyone care to take a stab at evaluating what Stubbs’ times at Stawell would translate to over 100m? And, since he seeks Olympic 200m selection, what his times suggest he might clock at 200m?

WELL DONE Youngy, but as you know better than anyone that’s the nature of these handcapped events.

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abt 10.55 no quicker than 10.50, Josh won his first Stawell gift in similar time and from a similar mark, obviously he has improved since.

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I thought you would have been competing at Stawell this year yourself, Sharmer! :smiley:

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KK1,

I think it would be anywhere from 10.35-10.50, considering that he ran 11.90 [112.75m] on grass and slightly uphill at one point. His 7.25m was a bit too generous but who really cares.