Best of the best confirmed for the Gift Winners’ Gift

Date: 22nd March 2012

The winners of the biggest Gift meetings on the Australian calendar are set to compete at the Australia Post Stawell Gift this Easter, following confirmation of the line up for the 2012 Stawell Gold Mines Gift Winners’ Gift.

One of the feature races on the Gift carnival program, the invitational field will include 2011 Australia Post Stawell Gift winner Mitch Williams, defending title holder Jordan Caldow (Bay Sheffield Gift), Chris Hargreaves (Queanbeyan Gift), David Tinney (Ballarat Gift), Matthew Eddy (Maryborough Gift), Alex Carew (Gippsland Gift), John Nicolosi (Stonnington Gift) and Burnie Gift winner Brendan Cole, who earlier this month booked his ticket to the London Olympics in the 400m hurdles.

The race is set to be fiercely contested with the deserving winner of the 2012 Stawell Gold Mines Gift Winners’ Gift to walk away with $5000 in prize money.

The Stawell Gold Mines Gift Winners’ Gift will be staged on Finals Day, after the final of the 2012 Australia Post Stawell Gift. Run over 120 metres, all competitors will start on their allocated handicap at the time of the Easter carnival.

Introduced in 2010, the inaugural title was won by 2009 Australia Post Stawell Gift winner Aaron Stubbs. In 2011 it was Bay Sheffield Gift winner Jordan Caldow who was first across the line.

Reigning Australia Post Stawell Gift winner Mitch Williams is looking forward to not only defending his title, but also competing against the other victors in the Stawell Gold Mines Gift Winners’ Gift.

“Stawell is one of my favourite events to run in and I’m looking forward to the competition,” Williams said.

“My form is really good at the moment. I’ve had one week off so I’ll be running really well by Easter. It would be great to defend my title in the main race at Stawell but I think my handicap might be quite hard.

“I’ve been doing a lot more track work since winning the Gift in 2011 and I’m hoping to make the Australian (4x100m) relay team this year.  I really want to run a 10.20 time on the track and that’s my goal for 2012,” he concluded.

The 131st edition of the Australia Post Stawell Gift carnival will be staged over the Easter long weekend from Friday, 6 April to Monday, 9 April 2012.

The carnival kicks off with the Calcutta on Friday night and is followed by three days of thrilling racing, including the Driscoll McIllree & Dickinson Ladies Day and Family Day, all culminating in the 131st running of the Australia Post Stawell Gift on Easter Monday.

Comments are closed.