Maryborough Gift: fields step up in class

THE big names are ready to come out and play at Maryborough.Ballarat athletes are ready, though, to try to shake things up in today's Victorian Athletic League meet.Perennial performers Rod Mathews, Peter O'Dwyer, Rob Lehmann and Justin Templar are in the mix for the $10,300 Maryborough Gift at Princes Park.For rookie Alfredton runner Nicholas Emmerton this will be his first appearance at the highland gathering.Nigerian sprint sensation Bola Lawal will return as backmarker off a 0.25-metre mark in heat one.Willaura teenager Simon Menz, part of the Lehmann stable, has drawn the same heat with a 9.25m mark.Menz holds his own decorated raacésumaacé as a Stawell Gift semi-finalist last season and reaching the Terang Gift final in late November.Defending title-holder Daniel Steinhauser is back.The Wodonga sprinter will be in the red off 3.75 metres in heat five, which includes O'Dwyer (9.5m).Templar is a likely strong contender after a good showing at Terang, winning the Gift and finishing second in the 70-metre open final.He will start as frontmarker in heat 11 at the 12-metre mark.Reigning Ballarat Gift winner Rod Mathews enters the meet on an impressive start to the season, including a win in the open 400m at Terang and a podium finish in the Melbourne City Gift.Mathews, who had planned to retire before this season, has a heavy program, with four events at Maryborough and three at Daylesford on Sunday.But he knows racing steps up a notch at Maryborough.``This year my focus has been different and it's taken the pressure off and I'm doing all right,'' Mathews said``Terang was totally out of left field _ it wasn't planned that I make the final _ and form shows I'm thereabouts.``Fields become a lot stronger, though, from Maryborough onwards.''Stawell Gift title-holder Aaron Stubbs has trekked down from Queensland to try his luck.He has won at Maryborough before _ capturing the 2008 70m open crown _ and will start in the red off three metres in heat two.Seasoned New South Wales sprint campaigner Richard Hankin lurks in his heat at 5.25m.Ballarat's Rob Lehmann will hit the field in heat four off 8.5m against 2000 Maryborough Gift winner Todd Ireland (12m).It is Lehmann's first VAL meet back from a hamstring injury.His charge Nathan Dixon must wait until heat eight to try his luck off 7.5m.Racing is just part of the action in Maryborough today.Jazz and pipe bands will kick off action about the town, vintage cars will join in the parade, power will be put to the test in strong-man events and sideshows will also keep revellers entertained.