The two favourites for the 2017 Stawell Athletic Club Stawell Gift will face off in the last semi final tomorrow, with only one to qualify for the richest footrace in Australia.
After placing 5th in last years final, Matthew Rizzo from Langwarrin is the shortest priced favourite at $1.45 having clocked the fastest heat time of 12.10.
Rizzo will run from 7.5m and give 0.25m advantage to Wantirna athlete Daniel Sonsini who has the next shortest odds at $8.
“We have one of the hottest favourites in years for the men’s race, but the women’s is proving to be wide open at this stage,” Stawell Athletic Club President Neil Blizzard said.
Sharing odds of $10 are Melbourne pair Michael Romanin in semi-final one and Nathan Riali who runs in the fifth semi.
STAWELL ATHLETIC CLUB STAWELL GIFT SEMI FINALS
| SEMI FINAL 1 | First Name | Last Name | Handicap |
| Red | Ryan | Bedford | 3.5 |
| White | Michael | Romanin | 4.75 |
| Blue | Mitchell | Pateman | 5.5 |
| Yellow | Jojo | Kwenin | 5.5 |
| Green | Leigh | Bennett | 6.25 |
| Pink | Thomas | Moloney | 7 |
| Black | Jayden | Gilfillan | 8.5 |
| SEMI FINAL 2 | First Name | Last Name | Handicap |
| Red | Matt | Carter | 3.5 |
| White | Spencer | Browne | 5.5 |
| Blue | Aaron | Leferink | 6.5 |
| Yellow | Kyle | Grubnic | 7 |
| Green | Nick | Macgibbon | 7.25 |
| Pink | Cam | Dunbar | 9.25 |
| Black | Leigh | Phelan | 11 |
| SEMI FINAL 3 | First Name | Last Name | Handicap |
| Red | Tjimarri | Sanderson-Milera | 3.75 |
| White | Andrew | Imlah | 5.5 |
| Blue | Ryan | Ilett | 6.5 |
| Yellow | Conor | Loughnan | 7.25 |
| Green | James | Vine | 7.25 |
| Pink | Ryan | Camille | 9.75 |
| Black | Michael | Voumard | 10 |
| SEMI FINAL 4 | First Name | Last Name | Handicap |
| Red | Will | Roberts | 4.5 |
| White | Gary | Finegan | 5.5 |
| Blue | Liam | Moss | 5.5 |
| Yellow | Bryce | Teo | 6.5 |
| Green | Tom | Newman | 7.5 |
| Pink | Mason | Keast | 9.75 |
| Black | Andrew | Campbell | 10 |
| SEMI FINAL 5 | First Name | Last Name | Handicap |
| Red | Isaac | Dunmall | 4 |
| White | Nathan | Riali | 4.75 |
| Blue | Leonard | King | 5.75 |
| Yellow | James | Woodgate | 6.25 |
| Green | Timothy | Delahunty | 6.5 |
| Pink | Lachlan | Sheffield | 8 |
| Black | Kristerfer | Kardakovski | 10 |
| SEMI FINAL 6 | First Name | Last Name | Handicap |
| Red | Dominic | Mah | 6 |
| White | Jack | Newman | 7 |
| Blue | Matthew | Rizzo | 7.5 |
| Yellow | Daniel | Sonsini | 7.75 |
| Green | Evan | Jarvis | 8.5 |
| Pink | Matt | Burleigh | 9 |
| Black | Bikramjeet | Singh | 10 |
The Australia Post Strickland Family Women’s Gift will see dual Olympian Toea Wisil and 16 year old Liv Ryan share the position of $2.50 favourites for the $40,000 first prize.
On debut at Stawell and running from scratch, Wisil of Papua New Guinea easily won her heat and will take off in semi-final 5 wearing the red.
While teenager Ryan, who just moved to Australia from Switzerland will be the out marker on the limit of 11m in the fourth semi.
Despite being the fastest qualifier with a 13.69 heat win, Taylah Perry is the third best favourite at $3, followed by world junior representative Maddie Coates at $5.
AUSTRALIA POST STRICKLAND FAMILY WOMEN’S GIFT SEMI FINALS
| SEMI FINAL 1 | First Name | Last Name | Handicap |
| Red | Holly | Dobbyn | 4.25 |
| White | Kendra | Hubbard | 4.25 |
| Blue | Tierra | Exum | 6.5 |
| Yellow | Bridget | Powell | 9 |
| Green | Davina | Strauss | 9 |
| Pink | Emma | Rosentreter | 10.75 |
| Black | Virginia | Stasyszyn | 11 |
| SEMI FINAL 2 | First Name | Last Name | Handicap |
| Red | Melissa | Breen | 0.25 |
| White | Lauren | Wells | 4.25 |
| Blue | Talia | Martin | 7 |
| Yellow | Nikki | Venardos | 8.5 |
| Green | Laura | Downie | 9.25 |
| Pink | Eleni | Gilden | 10.75 |
| Black | Anna | Pasquali | 11 |
| SEMI FINAL 3 | First Name | Last Name | Handicap |
| Red | Maddie | Coates | 3 |
| White | Grace | O’Dwyer | 5 |
| Blue | Abby | Chapman | 7 |
| Yellow | Ebony | Lane | 7.5 |
| Green | Kelsey | Williams | 9.5 |
| Pink | Catherine | Hannell | 11 |
| Black | Karlee | Bailey | 11 |
| SEMI FINAL 4 | First Name | Last Name | Handicap |
| Red | Jessica | Payne | 3.75 |
| White | Kiara | Reddingius | 4.5 |
| Blue | Tara | Domaschenz | 5.25 |
| Yellow | Caitlin | Hawks | 8.5 |
| Green | Tori | West | 9.75 |
| Pink | Kirsty | Stevens | 11 |
| Black | Liv | Ryan | 11 |
| SEMI FINAL 5 | First Name | Last Name | Handicap |
| Red | Toea | Wisil | scr |
| White | Olivia | Eaton | 4 |
| Blue | Lynette | Viney | 5.25 |
| Yellow | Sarah | Blizzard | 5.5 |
| Green | Mikayla | Round | 8.5 |
| Pink | Kate | Jones | 9.75 |
| Black | Lauren | Keating | 11 |
| SEMI FINAL 6 | First Name | Last Name | Handicap |
| Red | Amie | Mittiga | 5.5 |
| White | Sophie | Taylor | 5.75 |
| Blue | Loren | London | 8.5 |
| Yellow | Taylah | Perry | 8.5 |
| Green | Lauren | Jauncey-Gorrings | 10 |
| Pink | Lily | Micklethwait | 10.5 |
| Black | Cara | Bousted | 11 |
SUNDAY’S HIGHLIGHTS
22 years after he won the Bill Howard novice 100m, Evan King today took out the Dulkieth Computer Solutions Hank Neil Masters Handicap over 100m off 11.75m in a time of 10.86 seconds.
The evergreen was understandably emotional during presentations, after a career that has included four appearances in the Stawell Gift final.
Mt Martha athlete Dylan Burrows won the 550m off 34m. Wearing the blue and in only his second appearance at Stawell, he flew home to salute the crowd and take the sash.
“It felt pretty good. I’ve dreamed about it all season,” the 17 year old said.
While Kyle Grubnic won a blanket finish in the 70m, clocking 7.53 seconds, with Karlee Bailey finishing second in 7.55 just 3 one thousandths ahead of Harrison Kerr. His next challenge will be in semi-final number 2 for the men’s gift.
Stawell Gift Broadcast Details – Easter Monday (April 17, 2017)
Melbourne 11.30am LIVE on Channel 7
Sydney 11.30am LIVE on Channel 7
Brisbane 11.30am LIVE on Channel 7
Adelaide 11am LIVE on Channel 7
Perth 9.30am LIVE on Channel 7mate and then 10am LIVE on Channel 7
Tasmania 11.30 am LIVE on Southern Cross Television
Viewers can LIVE STREAM on the following website www.7live.com.au or download the Plus7 app.
Tickets are available at http://www.stawellgift.com/
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