Victorian-based Tasmanian Jacob Despard wanted to make a statement in the Stawell Gift heats on Saturday.
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He did just that by clocking the fastest heat time of 12.21 seconds to become the one to beat ahead of Monday's semi-finals and final.
The 21-year-old said running the quickest time of the day had been his main objective going into his sixth visit to Stawell.
He said having achieved it, he was feeling even more confident about his chances of collecting the first prizemoney of $40,000.
Despard has been installed $2 favourite, ahead of reigning champion Matt Rizzo $2.50 and Liam Moss $5.
Running off 4.5m, this will be only Despard's second appearance in a Stawell Gift semi-final.
He reached the second phase in 2015, but was run out by eventual Gift final winner Murray Goodwin.
Despard said he had no doubt he was reaping the benefits of a move to Victoria late last year.
He shifted to the mainland with fellow Tasmanian sprinter Jack Hale aiming to take his running career to the next level.
Despard felt he had become too lay-back in his home state and had responded to the more competitive environment in Victoria.
Rizzo is right in the mix to emulate the great Bill Howard and become only the second back-to-back winner of the Stawell Gift.
Only Despard ran a quicker time than Rizzo, who looked comfortable in running 12.29.
Rizzo said he was stoked with his time, which up to his heat was the fastest of the day.
He said he had been "twitchy" at the start, feeling the pressure which went with being the defending
STAWELL GIFT
SEMI-FINALS DRAWS
SEMI-FINAL 1 - 12.23pm
RED Harrison Hunt 4.75
WHITE Dominic Mah 6.00
BLUE Jasper Nettlefold 6.25
YELLOW Harrison Kerr 7.75
GREEN Evan Jarvis 8.50
PINK Max Punchihewa 9.50
BLACK Mason Keast 9.75
SEMI-FINAL 2- 12.26pm
RED Michael Pateman 4.75
WHITE Leonard King 5.75
BLUE Liam Dooley 7.00
YELLOW Luke Whitney 8.00
GREEN Doug GREENough 9.50
PINK Hamish Adams 9.50
BLACK Hayden Wyllie 9.50
SEMI-FINAL 3 - 12.29pm
RED Liam Moss 5.50
WHITE Taylor Sharpe 6.00
BLUE Luke Houlihan 6.00
YELLOW Nick MacGibbon 7.25
GREEN Brendan Matthews 7.50
PINK Nathan McNab 8.50
BLACK Jason Bailey 10.00
SEMI-FINAL 4 - 12.32pm
RED Will Johns 4.50
WHITE Gary Finegan 5.25
BLUE Spencer Browne 6.00
YELLOW Daniel Sonsini 7.25
GREEN James Woodgate 7.25
PINK Paul TancRED i 8.50
BLACK Leigh Phelan 10.00
SEMI-FINAL 5 - 12.35pm
RED Devon Allen 1.00
WHITE Jacob Despard(bm5) 4.50
BLUE Jack Newman(bm22) 7.25
YELLOW Tim Eschebach(fq14) 7.25
GREEN Jarrod Whittaker 8.75
PINK Jordan Tronnolone 9.75
BLACK Bikramjeet Singh 10.00
SEMI-FINAL 6 - 12.38pm
RED Matt Carter 4.00
WHITE Matthew Rizzo 4.50
BLUE Conor Loughnan 7.00
YELLOW Tom Newman 7.50
GREEN Kevin Brittain 9.00
PINK Matt Burleigh 9.75
BLACK Rupert Lugo 10.00
champion. Rizzo said while he was trying not to think too much about it, he admitted it would be sensational to win two consecutive Stawell Gift finals.
Gift backmarker and United States champion 110m hurdler Devon Allen made light work of his 1m handicap to win his heat in 12.47 and lock in a semi-final berth on his first trip to Australia.
STAWELL WOMEN'S GIFT
SEMI-FINALS DRAWS
SEMI-FINAL 1 - 11.50am
RED Olivia Russo 3.75
WHITE Grace O'Dwyer 4.00
BLUE Ebony Lane 6.00
YELLOW Natasha Rudder 6.50
GREEN Stephanie Richards 7.00
PINK Laura Downie 7.75
BLACK Hannah Lindstrom 9.75
SEMI-FINAL 2 - 11.53am
RED Kendra Hubbard 2.25
WHITE Angela Byrt 4.50
BLUE Natassia Messent 6.50
YELLOW Jordan McMillan 6.50
GREEN Ellie Whittingham 7.00
PINK Lily Micklethwait 9.75
BLACK Stephanie Jinks 11.00
SEMI-FINAL 3 - 11.56am
RED Hana Basic 2.75
WHITE Amie Mittiga 4.75
BLUE Tara Domaschenz 5.00
YELLOW Lakara Stallan 6.50
GREEN Caitlin Stallan 7.00
PINK Caitlin Hawks 7.50
BLACK Rachel O'Brien 10.00
SEMI-FINAL 4 - 11.59am
RED Sophia Fighera 5.25
WHITE Sienna Fighera 5.50
BLUE Tahlia Martin 6.00
YELLOW Mikayla Round 6.75
GREEN Zoe Neale 7.50
PINK Eleni Gilden 10.00
BLACK Pamela Austin 10.50
SEMI-FINAL 5 - 12.02pm
RED Holly Dobbyn 3.00
WHITE Alexia Loizou 5.25
BLUE Nicole Reynolds 6.75
YELLOW Kate Jones 8.25
GREEN Lauren Keating 10.00
PINK Anna Pasquali 10.25
BLACK 7302 Cara Boustead 10.50
SEMI-FINAL 6 - 12.05pm
RED Mia Gross 1.75
WHITE Kiara Reddingius 3.00
BLUE Elizabeth Forsyth 7.00
YELLOW Kayla Lemm 7.50
GREEN Davina Strauss 7.50
PINK Loren London 8.75
BLACK Edwina Kidd 11.00
Allen, who was fifth in the 110m hurdle final at 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympic Games, said he had enjoyed the experience and was looking forward to improving on it on Monday.
Gary Finegan (5.25m) looms as another major contender in the semi-finals after winning a heat in 12.30 along with Moss (5.5m), who won a heat in 12.32.
