STAWELL - The XXXX Gold Chris Perry Memorial Backmarkers Invitation Handicap provided plenty of spark at Central Park on Easter Monday.
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There was a host of big names in this yeas 120 metre backmarkers event with last year's gift winner Andrew Robinson, the backmarker in the Australia Post Stawell Gift Joel Bee and the fastest Australian woman over 100 metres Melissa Breen, not to mention Evan O'Hanlon a five time Paralympic gold medallist all participating.
Breen was well out in front with her handicap of 13.50 metres, while Joel Bee finally got his wish, running off scratch.
Breen got out of the blocks well and led from the front.
As they approached the second half of the race there was still hope of Breen pulling off a marvellous victory.
Despite the nig crowd her home Breen fatigued letting Evan O'Hanlon take bragging rights.
Evan O'Hanlon, for the first time competed against abled bodies in the Stawell Gift event and then ran a time of 12.59 to take out the backmarkers event.
"I'm so happy to have won" O'Hanlon said.
"Mel took some catching today.
"It was a great run by her."
O'Hanlon was diagnosed with cerebral palsy after a prenatal stroke qualifying him for the T38 category of Paralympics.
T38 is a category that consist of cerebral palsy athletes that are ambulant.
O'Hanlon holds the current world record for the 100 metres and 200 metre sprints in the T38 sections after winning gold and recording times of 10.79 seconds and 21.82 at the London Paralympics in 2012.
Having already achieved everything in his T38 discipline O'Hanlon's main focus from here is to not only qualify, but to make it through the heats at the national championships next year.
The 25 year old from Sydney came across to Stawell with little expectations, but was just happy to run.
In the Australia Post Stawell Gift heats O'Hanlon was third to Cam Dunbar stopping the clock at 12.86