THIS year's Stawell Gift looks to be in the grasp of the top runners with released handicaps set to make it more difficult for amateur runners to secure a surprise win.
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The fields for the men's and women's 120m Gifts include a group from the best of Australia's current sprinters - Jake Doran, Eddie Nkeita (New Zealand), Jack Hale, Aidan Murphy, Torrie Lewis, Bree Masters, Taylah Cruttenden and Mia Gross, among more than 600 athletes who have entered.
"It's so encouraging to see the strong numbers continuing at Easter. It's exciting because of what we have had to deal with in the last two years," Chair of Stawell Gift event management Stephanie Spence said.
"With still some nervousness around COVID-19 and isolation rules, we are thrilled with the number of runners joining us for the pinnacle of Australian pro running.
"Thanks to our partnership with Athletics Australia we will have around half of the best male sprinters in the country and one of the best women's fields in a long time lining up to run against a class field of professional runners."
Recent changes to the handicapping system are likely to make success more difficult.
The system has brought frontmarkers to 11m which could pose issues for amateur runners.
In 2019 Alexia Loizou surprised off 13 metres, Talia Martin won off 13m in 2016 and Holly Dobbyn won off 11.5m in 2014.
Triple Bendigo Gift winner, and Ballarat Gift finalist, Tiana Shillito is one who might find going difficult.
Shillito narrowly defeated Stawell scratch marker Torrie Lewis in Bendigo off 11.25m over the 100m distance, so coming back to 11m over 120m looks a tough task.
Ballarat's best chance of success looks to be from Ballarat Harriers runner Grace Kelly who was fifth in this event last year off 4.25m.
She has been handicapped at the same mark. Former winners Dobbyn (6.25m) and Grace O'Dwyer (7.75m) will have hard battles ahead.
Lewis' trainer, former Ballarat runner Gerrard Keating said his 17-year-old sprint star would relish an opportunity to shine on the big stage.
"We predicted she would be off zero. It's an honour to be on such a mark at such a young age," he said.
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