Posted by Hopwood Wendy
STAWELL GIFT WEEKEND HAS ARRIVED
Date: 19th April 2019
The Easter break is here and that means the Stawell Gift. For the 138th edition, attention turns to Australia’s greatest footrace in the north-west Victorian town of Stawell.
“From Good Friday right through to Easter Monday visitors to Central Park can experience top level professional running as well as a host of activities and entertainment for the whole family. There are three days of races culminating in the iconic Visit Grampians Stawell Gift and the Strickland Family Women’s Gift, with $40,000 going to the winners of both,” Stawell Athletic Club President Darryl Harrison said.
Two-time Stawell Gift winner Josh Ross (2003/2005) will attempt to be the first three-time winner of the iconic Stawell Gift. He will run off 2m. At the Call of the Card Ross was backed by Geoff Miles athletics bookmaker at $11.
Jason Bailey is among the early favourites at $4 and for the Strickland Family Women’s Gift Sophia Fighera is at $3.30.
Last year’s Stawell Gift Open winner Jacob Despard is at $16 and reigning Women’s Gift champion Elizabeth Forsyth is at $14.
They will both be aiming for back to back wins, which only the great Bill Howard has achieved in 1966 and ’67.
In the Strickland Family Women’s Gift other early favourites are Zoe Neale is on $4.80, Bree Masters from Broadbeach, Qld at $5 along with Fia Fighera’s teammate Alexia Loizou also at $5 and Steph Jinks at $6. -1m handicapped Maddie Coates is at $7 and Brittany Austin is at $8 along with the ACT’s Clare de Salis. Geelong’s Mia Gross is paying $10 and National 400m champion Lauren Wells is at $11 for the 120m.
Jason Bailey’s coach Todd Ireland believes Jason will make the final, along with his other highly favoured athletes Matt Burleigh at $8, Daniel Sonsini at $11 and last year’s runner up Hamish Adams at $21 with the bookies.
South Australian Lachlan Sheffield is at $6 along with Leonard King and Newcastle runner Jack Newman. Despard teammate Jara Konteh, winner of the Keilor Gift is at $9. Jayden Gilfillan is at $11.
With races ranging from 70m to 3200m in distance, the Stawell Gift Carnival will attract over 2000 entries from some 700 athletes to Central Park over the three days. including a number of Little Athletics Victoria events over the weekend. Some 10,000 spectators will gather to watch.
Easter Monday will feature a 3-hour live broadcast the Seven Network around Australia from 11:30am AEST.
Three days of action-packed racing, activities and entertainment make up the 2019 Stawell Gift Carnival. The off-track action is headlined by Fashions on the Field which takes centre stage on Easter Saturday (April 20) and Easter Sunday is Family Day at Stawell with The Cadbury® Easter Egg Hunt part of a fantastic schedule of child-friendly activities including an athletics clinic and plenty of other organised fun for the kids.
Tickets are available at http://www.stawellgift.com/event-guide/buy-tickets/ or at the gate.
The 20189 Stawell Easter Gift runs from this Saturday April 20 – Monday April 22.
For all media enquiries, please contact: Jane Owen at 360 Sport and Entertainment on 0407936005/jane.owen@360se.com.au.
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