2007 Stawell Gift This Weekend

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New maturity the key to back-to-back Gift wins
by Scott Gullan
Melbourne HeraldSun April 04, 2007

HISTORY says it’s almost impossible but, as Adrian Mott points out, this is the Stawell Gift and anything can happen.
Mott, last year’s winner, is trying to become only the second runner in the 126-year history of Australia’s richest footrace to win back-to-back Gifts.
The bonus for Mott is that he is coming off an impressive debut season on the amateur circuit and has improved significantly, despite having his Gift mark pulled back from 7.25m to 3.25m.
“The Stawell Gift isn’t designed to be won back-to-back,” Mott said. "Only one person has done that in 125 years.
“So the odds are against me if you look at it that way but I have hit form at the right time of the year. The goal is to make the final because if you’re in the final then anything can happen.”
Bill Howard is the only back-to-back winner, in 1966-67, while Joshua Ross is only runner in recent times to come close.
Ross won from 7m in 2003 and was beaten an eyelash in the semi-final a year later by eventual winner Jason Hunte.
Ross ran off scratch in 2005 and created history by becoming the second man to win the Gift off the back mark.
After cruising home in last year’s Gift, Mott declared he wanted to follow in the footsteps of Ross, an Athens Olympian, and represent his country at the highest level.
And Mott showed in the Telstra A-series he could mix it with Ross and Co.
The 21-year-old from Essendon finished fifth in the 100m at last month’s national championships in Brisbane in a personal best of 10.43sec.
That performance was good enough for Mott to be named in the relay squad for the track and field world championships, which will be held in Osaka, Japan, in August.
“I really enjoyed lining up next to Josh Ross and Patrick Johnson and giving it a crack,” Mott said.
"I had a form slump and I was struggling with fitness and form around January and February.
“But I came out of it and hit my straps at the perfect time.”
Mott said he was fitter and stronger than last year and, importantly, more mature.
He believes those improvements cancel out the 4m pull in his mark.
“I won by a couple of metres last year and I have found a couple more,” Mott said.
"But you never know with the Gift because someone can come out of nowhere and run 11.9sec in the heats.
“All I know is that when I walk through those gates at Central Park, it will be like welcome home.”
Mott has the right man in his corner as he tries to defy history on Monday: 1991 Gift winner Steve Brimacombe.
Brimacombe, who later represented Australia at Olympic, Commonwealth and world championships level, doesn’t have fond memories of his return to Stawell the year after his Gift win.
“I had a shocker,” he said.
"I had won the Bay Sheffield after Stawell as well, so I went from 6.75m to something very close to scratch.
"I didn’t run very well anyway, but I think Motty is in a better position.
"History is obviously against it but he is a good runner.
"He is in good shape and he’s going there confident.
“I think the mark makes him fairly competitive.”
Brimacombe said a successful summer was a significant factor for his charge.
“Motty is always a big-time performer,” he said.
"He came fifth at the nationals and got himself on the squad for the relay.
"He is pumped about that and running on a high.
"It also works in his favour that he is coming back as the defending champion.
"Look, if someone is running sub-12, it is out of his reach.
“But if it is a year where the times are a bit slow, a bit even, I definitely put him in the mix.”

http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,21500406-14822,00.html

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Stawell Gift Memorable Moments

20 Years Ago - 1987
In the lead up to the 1987 Stawell Gift speculation was brewing that a Los Angeles Olympic Gold Medallist would be entered for the Gift. HeraldSun journalist Penny Crisp keen to break the story took a punt and wrote an article that Carl Lewis was the mystery Olympic champion who would run in the Gift.

At the launch of the 1987 Stawell Gift held at Olympic Park, Melbourne, John Toleman announced the runner was in fact Los Angeles Women’s 200m and 400m champion, Valerie Briscoe-Hooks. Penny Crisp was a little embarrassed that her punt had misfired but it did produce a Herald Sun advertising poster (that I still have somewhere) that has a picture of Lewis and declaring he would run at Stawell.

The limit was 10m and most pundits believed Briscoe-Hooks would need every millimetre of that to have any chance. Unfortunately for the promoters, handicapper, Kevin McKay allocated the 400m champ, 6.50m.

International media including a French television crew, were heading to Stawell to see Briscoe-Hooks run in this unique event that had just opened up to elite amateurs for the first time.

On arriving in Melbourne, when she and her management heard of the handicap and how it was uncompetitive in the context of the field, Briscoe Hooks returned to the USA within a few days.

Whilst the media launch was going on at Olympic Park, a lone figure was training on the track outside. Russell Elliott was oblivious to the happenings inside the function room upstairs, busy preparing for his crack at the Holy Grail.

After an ordinary heat run where he was lucky to get over SA runner Andrew Weckert in 12.6, trainer Neil King gave him a tongue lashing to shake him up for the semi final on Monday. Smashed out of the blocks early by a young little known Sydney runner named Scott Antonich, Elliott looked beaten, 2m behind with 40m to go. But Antonich tore a hamstring and fell to the deck, allowing Elliott to storm pass and take an unlikely victory.

Lining up for the final were Queensland Beach sprint champion Warren Peters; 18yo 400m star Mark Garner from NSW; the Evan Armstrong trained Trevor Smith, Ararat’s Chris Start and Elliott the outmarker off 8.25m. Peters appeared to get a fly start but beginning brilliantly was Chris Start who peeled off the 1.75m gap to Elliott by the 75m mark. Start looked certain to pass Elliott, however for the second race in a row, a hamstring injury to his rival allowed Elliott to run away and steal the race from Peters and Garner.

In probably the luckiest Stawell Gift win ever, Neil King had trained his 4th Stawell Gift winner in 6 years.

History shows the two hamstring lads, returned 12 months alter to fight out the 1988 final with Antonich beating Start.

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for those outside the pro circuit theres seems to be very little hype around this years gift compared to recent years…

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Woods’ new best and Mott’s quest for history sets up Stawell Gift thriller

There are only three days to go until the 2007 Australia Post Stawell Gift carnival kicks off and the 126th edition of the Australia Post Stawell Gift looks set to be a thriller.

American sprinter John Woods arrived in Melbourne from the US this morning fresh and raring to go after setting a sizzling personal best time of 10.19 seconds over 100m at the Tom Benich Classic in Colorado last weekend.

The 24-year-old, who finished fifth in the final of the 2007 US indoor 60m championships, is quickly becoming renowned as the fastest white sprinter in the United States and is looking forward to the challenge this Easter weekend.

“It’s a unique event and you don’t really get a chance to run on grass anywhere else in the world.”

“Running at Stawell and in Australia was a chance to do something different and hopefully I’ll leave with a fatter wallet than what I came down here with.”

Woods’ recent personal best time has resulted in his handicap being pushed back to one metre from his previous 1.5 metre mark.

Meanwhile 2006 Australia Post Stawell Gift winner Adrian Mott (3.25m) will be hunting back-to-back victories – if he is successful he’d be only the second athlete to win consecutive Gifts in the event’s prestigious 126-year history.

“History says no (it’s not possible) but I’m a lot more mature and quicker than I was last year so anything’s possible,” explained the 21-year-old Essendon athlete.

“Crossing the finish line in first place last year was such a high and such a buzz and I‘m looking forward to giving it another good crack this year.”

This year will see one of the most competitive fields in the history of the Australia Post Stawell Gift with Woods and Mott set to take on backmarker Anthony Alozie (0.75m), Olympian Adam Miller (1.75m) and world junior championships semi-finalist Aaron Rouge-Serret (2.0m) – all are more than qualified to take home the $40,000 first prize.

In the Provincial Victoria 120m Women’s Gift, sprint sensation Sally McLellan will be chasing the $6,500 winner’s cheque after being knocked out in the semi-finals last year.

The three-time national champion over 100m and 110m hurdles will once again be starting off scratch.

The 20-year-old Queenslander will be joined in Stawell by her fellow Commonwealth Games relay bronze medallists Crystal Attenborough and Melanie Kleeberg, two-time Commonwealth Games finalist Fiona Cullen and eleven-time national champion Tamsyn Lewis, a previous winner of the Women’s Gift in 2000 who has been competing at Stawell since 1993.

The Stawell Athletic Club has dramatically increased the prize money and profile of the invitation Northern Grampians Shire Herb Hedemann Mile in 2007, with a total prize purse of $10,000 on offer - $6,500 to the winner.

Commonwealth Games bronze medallist Youcef Abdi, three-time national 800m champion Nick Bromley, rising star Jeff Riseley and 2007 world cross country representatives Liam Adams, Collis Birmingham and David McNeill headline a top class field for the Northern Grampians Shire Herb Hedemann Invitation Mile to be held this Easter Monday.

In total, over 500 athletes will be fighting for more than $120,000 up for grabs at Australia’s richest and most famous athletics event. Network Ten will broadcast the event live on Easter Monday afternoon to an expected audience of over 1.4 million people throughout Australia.

2007 Australia Post Stawell Gift
Easter Friday to Easter Monday
6 - 9 April, 2007

Friday – The Stawell Gift Calcutta

7.00pm Stawell Entertainment Centre

Saturday – The Driscoll, McIllree & Dickinson Ladies Day

12.00pm – 4.30pm Central Park, Stawell

Sunday – Family Day

10.30am – 4.30pm Central Park, Stawell

Monday - Australia Post Finals Day

11.00am – 4.00pm Central Park, Stawell (Gift final at 2.45pm)

For more information on the 2007 Australia Post Stawell Gift visit www.stawellgift.com

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Go to

www.betfair.com

Taking bets on the Stawell Gift.

If you can’t make the Town Hall Friday for a real bet then do online (of sorts!).

So easy money to be made, otherwise a $5 interest is alway popular…

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Drama and controversy at the 2007 Australia Post Stawell Gift

The 2007 Australia Post Stawell Gift is the most open in a decade, with less than two-tenths of a second separating the top 24 runners following the heats of the 126th running of the Easter classic.

The expected fast times did not unfold until late in the day, with self-coached Queenslander Gary Finegan (5.5m) producing the fastest time – in the second last heat.

Finegan, 21, a world junior championship representative in 2004, easily accounted for US indoor finalist John Woods to record 12.28 seconds, but was the subject of an immediate enquiry by Victorian Athletic League stewards who questioned the Queenslander on his rapid improvement since his last start at the Keilor Gift in February.

Finegan was dismissive of the style of his heat win.

“I’ve put down the time, but it doesn’t matter what happened today it’s all about Monday now – two more races to run,” he said after the heat.

The stewards were as busy as the bookmakers with Queensland’s Nathan Allen (5.25m) and Ballarat veteran Evan King (10m) also questioned after the heats.

Allen, 29, was sensationally backed into a $3 favourite for the final before the heats but despite easily winning his heat in 12.45 did little to impress his strong army of supporters.

“The first half was excellent but I struggled a bit in the second half of the race. I know a lot of people have been talking about me and I’m confident in what we have done. I can understand why some people don’t rate me and I’m happy to prove them wrong,” a confident Allen said.

King, 36, a three-time finalist at Stawell, easily accounted for defending champion Adrian Mott in the final heat with 12.30, the second fastest time of the day.

Sydney event manager Iain MacFarlane (6.75m) - pictured - also impressed, clocking 12.30 to win heat 21.

For the first time since 1995, betting was suspended and after the hour-long stewards investigation Finegan was fined $100 and Allen handed a severe reprimand whilst King is set to meet with Stewards in the morning. To add to the drama, early gift favourite and 2005 Gift finalist Luke Versace, who failed to scratch from his heat, was suspended for 12 months and fined $500. Cameroon’s Sani Biao was been fined $250 for his late scratching.

The heats having failed to reveal a clear-cut favourite, Finegan, MacFarlane and Albury’s Daniel Steinhauser (7m), who clocked a comfortable 12.38 to win his heat, were installed as joint favourites at $3 after betting resumed.

Even though he finished fourth in his heat, American sprinter John Woods managed to scrape through to the semi-finals off his mark of one metre. Olympian Adam Miller (1.75m) won his heat in a time of 12.52 whilst 2006 Australia Post Stawell Gift winner Adrian Mott (3.25m) is an outside chance to make history after progressing through to the next round in a time of 12.54s.

1988 Seoul Olympian and former Stawell finalist Robert Ballard recorded the fifth fastest time to win his heat in 12.41 and was immediately backed in from $51 to $8. The 41-year-old, who will take up a posting as the strength and conditioning coach with the Indonesian National Olympic Committee later this month will line up in his 16th Stawell Gift semi final on Monday.

In the Provincial Victoria 120m Women’s Gift, Bronwyn Anderson was the fastest qualifier through to the semi-finals with a time of 13.90 off a mark of 10.5m.

Three-time Australian sprint champion Sally McLellan looked strong in her heat off scratch with the backmarker producing a time of 14.21s. Eleven-time Australian champion Tamsyn Lewis was the fourth fastest qualifier, crossing the line in 13.99s off 4.75m.

Two 1600m finals featured on day one with former AFL grand final boundary umpire Allan Cook from Hoppers Crossing taking out the Official Supporter’s Club Frontmarkers Mile. Ballarat’s Nathan Hartigan collected his second Gift Hotel Backmarkers Mile after winning the event in 2005.

2007 Australia Post Stawell Gift Market after the Saturday Heats

$3 Gary Finegan, Iain MacFarlane, Daniel Steinhauser

$5 Doug Greenough

$6 Nathan Allen

$8 Robert Ballard

$9 Evan King

$13 Luke Whitney

$15 Nick Sampieri

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surely they cannot be suprised by this…

one of the guys questioned has been telling his mates all year that he will win stawell and was running dead to do so… is was widely known as well.

he ran 1 interclub race all year and ran close to last in all of his heats in the pro’s.

good luck to him if he gets away with it i say… just goes to show that now its almost he who cheats best wins.

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whats up with this race, does everyone run 120m or do there scrath distances get added or subtracted from the 120m for the distance they run? And also, why do these sprinters never run in proper sprint races through-out the year? (is it cause of the betting system which seems very problematic?) Aaron rouge-serret got like 3rd or 4th in his heat and cept for robert chrowther, the other names where unknowns as far as i’m aware. And also, wheres all the best track sprinters who’d surely like all that money? Sorry if i seem ignorant of anything but this whole race is new to me.

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The rules of pro running, as I gather from observing the results over time, are as follows:

If you can run fast, the handicapper will start you on a mark from which you will need to run “at least” a lifetime best to have any chance of winning.

So, lest you be a fool or wish not to win the race, you are obliged by common sense to conceal your true ability until the day of the actual race.

Only in this way will you be able to defeat the handicapper which, it seems, is The Main Game.

So therefore you must “run dead” - run slowly - for the preceding 12 months or so in public, while “secretly” training the house down and sacrificing the opportunity to represent your country by avoiding any sign of excellence at the national championships which are always held around a month before the Stawell Gift which is always conducted over Easter.

You then emerge at the Stawell Gift to show your true colours, thereby doing your level best to steal the money from other like-minded thieves and those naive enough to have actually “run true” in the leadup to these races (whereby earning themselves a handicap usually good enough not only to stop them winning the race but mostly also good enough to stop them reaching the final.)

Very occasionally a very talented sprinter will come along and win despite a severe handicap, but my guess is that not too many men have ever won from the backmarker position (Youngy would know the stats for sure).

Nevertheless, the vast majority of athletes and coaches are participate enjoy it immensely and return year after year.

A great time seems to be had by all though because such has been the process for 126 years and n’er will it ever change.

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Can the handicaps be adjusted between say, heats and semi finals?

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no the handicaps stay as is during the entire weekend…

i think only 2 have ever won of scratch Jean-Louis Ravelomanantsoa of madagascar ran 12.00 for 120m uphill on grass in 1975.

Josh Ross is the other winner of scratch and also the only winner to have won after representing australia…whereas only 3 others have gone on to become olympians, despite the annual call from each and every winner saying how that now they can concentrate on going to the olympics… i guess the headstart gets in the way of reality at times. those 3 are

• 1990, Dean Capobianco - dual olympian

• 1991, Steve Brimacombe

• 1992, Andrew McManus

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Tamsyn Lewis at the start of the womens gift.

Lewis in action in the 400m gift

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Sounds like it was a really exciting race - looking forward to seeing the tape of it. Can’t understand why some people still slag off the pros though.

Hey, could you imagine a top racehorse trainer saying they were shunning handicap races on principle and sticking to level weight events?

With pro footrunning it’s a great mix of secret trials … whispers about who’s going to win … shrewd bets and hopeful punts. Then the racing itself. A backmarker getting up in the dying strides or a frontmarker hanging on desparately as the line approaches. Fantastic.

Get a look at Cathy Freeman winning the women’s 400 at Stawell in 96 if you need any convincing as to how exciting handicap racing can be.

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AND OFF WE GO TO THE OLYMPICS (AS USUAL)

Stawell champ targets Beijing
By John Salvado

April 10, 2007 12:00

Article from: AAPFont size: + -
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NATHAN Allen is targeting a berth in the 100m at the Beijing Olympics :stuck_out_tongue: after proving his detractors wrong with a nailbiting victory in the Stawell Gift yesterday.

Allen clocked a winning time of 12.35sec to edge out training partner Nick Sampieri by 0.1sec in the 126th edition of the 120m handicap race.

And written on the Queenslander’s forearm was the message “Never forget what Brima said”, a reference to criticism he received last year from Atlanta Olympian Steve Brimacombe, the coach of 2006 Gift winner Adrian Mott and a winner himself in 1991.

“There’s just one person I wanted to prove massively wrong this weekend and I’ve done that,” said Allen.

"He knows that and he owes me 100 bucks.

"That will be nice and I’ll be looking for him tonight.

"I’m not going to mention names, I’ll just keep it to myself.

"Never forget the things that were said.

"Never forget the disrespect that was shown to me here last year by someone.

“I wanted to rub it in his face.”

Allen, from Toowoomba, was also spurred on by a letter of support from his coach, former Australian 100m record holder Gerard Keating, that said victory yesterday was his destiny after overcoming a string of injuries.

He is booked in for more knee surgery in a couple of weeks to repair a cartilage tear.

Allen has previously been hampered by knee, groin and back injuries, the most serious of which resulted in a knee reconstruction after he ruptured his anterior cruciate ligament playing rugby league in 1999.

Two years ago, the 29-year-old Allen was bumming around in Perth.

“My life was going nowhere,” said Allen, who won his first pro race as a 15-year-old.

"I knew what I’d done in the past so I rang Gerard and told him I wanted to get back into it.

"We spoke about a lot of things and I set my goals very high.

“And I knew you don’t achieve those things unless you sacrifice a lot.”

Allen gave up his job and sold his beloved 1965 Ford Falcon to devote himself to training.

And such is the improvement he has shown, Keating guaranteed that Allen would finish second to Joshua Ross in the 100m at next year’s national titles and win a berth in the Australian 2008 Olympic team.

“I wrote him a letter to take out there and I said in it that you weren’t meant to make the 2006 Commonwealth Games team (when he was hampered by a slipped disc) but this is your destiny,” said Keating.

Allen was the backmarker in yesterday’s final off 5.25m and was second favourite with the bookmakers behind Iain MacFarlane.

Sampieri made the early running but Allen flew home to edge past him in the final few metres, before tumbling head-first across the line.

MacFarlane finished third in 12.41 into a 1.1m headwind.

Allen plans to use some of the $40,000 first prize to replace the Falcon.

“And I can go and buy some food that I want rather than eating tinned tuna every meal,” he said.

"It just gives you that affordability to train to the level you want to.

“You win this money and you don’t have to work, you’re not on your feet, your recovery process is better, you can put more time into it.”

Allen has previously run 10.34 for 100m with the aid of an illegal tailwind, but Keating believes he has the talent to go under 10.20.

Big-name backmarkers Adam Miller and American John Woods were run out in the semi-finals.

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Well, good luck to him. With all them joint injuries and all, he will need it.

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betfair.com copped a hammering!

I’d reckon the connections knew what they were doing!

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And such is the improvement he has shown, Keating guaranteed that Allen would finish second to Joshua Ross in the 100m at next year’s national titles and win a berth in the Australian 2008 Olympic team.

in 11 months time this could come back to bite him on the arse…BIG call

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Sure is a big call! How can anyone guarantee something like that!

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Looking at the backmarkers results at Stawell, could Allen have been competitive next to Mott, Sheehy, Miller, Rouge-S?

Stawell Chamber of Commerce 120m Backmarkers Invitation – FINAL
Result Time Lane H’Cap
1 Anthony ALOZIE 12.816 1 0
2 Aaron ROUGE-SERET 12.825 4 0.75
3 John WOODS 12.835 2 0
4 Adrian MOTT 12.865 5 2
5 Keith SHEEHY 12.875 8 3
6 Adam MILLER 12.906 3 0.5
7 Kieran NIELSEN 12.952 6 2.25
8 Brendan COLE 12.997 7 3

Of course he would have been- 12.34sec from 5.25m!

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what was the story behind brimmas comments?

why would you even bother bagging another after someone you coach wins the event.