Having lived up to expectations with one of the fastest heat wins on Saturday, he is highly fancied to progress to his first Stawell Gift final.

Backed into second favouritism on the eve of the Gift, Ballarat’s leading hope produced the fourth quickest run of the day on the first day of the three-day carnival – clocking 12.15 seconds in heat four.

Only 2011 Stawell Gift winner Mitchell Williams-Swain (12.08), Simon Jackson (12.11) and Isaac Dunmall (12.12) were faster.

Running off a generous 12m, Woodrow was workmanlike in keeping the experienced Kevin Brittain at bay.

Woodrow said it had been difficult to avoid the pre-race hype.

“I’ve been trying hard not to listen, and it’s hard to avoid.”

“I feel much better now,” Woodrow said as he removed the black colours.

He said after having an “up and down” year with injury and patchy form, it was good to get going.

Woodrow will be the out-marker in the third of six semi-finals this afternoon.

He will clash with past Stawell Gift winner Sam Jamieson (6.25m) and Newcastle lifeguard Tim Eschebach (9.5m), who ran 12.19 in his heat.

In his fifth year at Stawell, Woodrow could hardly have a better support team.

He is coached by 1999 Stawell Gift winner Rod Mathews and trains with Stawell Gift runner-up Evan King.

Woodrow, who is a Ballarat Grammar junior school teacher, said what Mathews and King did not know about preparing for Stawell was not worth knowing.

“They know how it works.”

Woodrow believes he will need to go faster today.

Describing his time as “pretty good”, he predicted a sub-12-second performance might be needed to take out the Gift.

Woodrow began the day as a joint second favourite on $5.50 behind Asafa Powell ($3).

Williams-Swain and

Jackson were late yesterday joint $3 favourites with bookmakers, ahead of Woodrow ($5), Aaron Stubbs ($5), Dunmall ($6) and Andrew Robinson ($8).

Last year’s Stawell Gift winner Matt Wiltshire finished second to James Vine in a heat, but missed out on being one of 20 fastest losers to advance.