Sinclair, of Newcastle, was caught between celebrating and coping with fatigue as he finished his first visit to Shepherd’s Flat with a profound limp.

He used one of his trophies, a Cricket Willow crafted bat, as support after stepping off the podium.

Sinclair grabbed his right hamstring as spasms set in after breaking the tape in the Telstra Daylesford Gift.

The 25-year-old made full use of his front mark of 10.5m to run away with the 100m feature event.

He out-gunned David Fenollar, of Jacana, with backmarker Shaun Fletcher (NSW) third.

Sinclair won his heat in 11.37 seconds on Saturday and then qualified for the final as one of the three fastest losers in the three semi-finals.

Sinclair put the spasms down to fatigue, with the day out at Cricket Willow coming hot on the heels of a tough campaign in the Tasmanian Summer Carnivals.

He reached the Latrobe Gift semi-finals, finished third in the 70m at Devonport and also ran at Burnie on New Year’s Day in his second visit to the Tasmanian north-west coast meets.

Sinclair, who first ran in Victoria in 2012, said this was the first time he had advanced beyond a heat in a Gift at a Victorian Athletic League meet.

“I ran at Stawell in 2012 so I could say I’ve done it,” he said.

Injury meant he was unable to return to Central Park last Easter.

Sinclair is coached by his sister Susan, who also competed on Saturday.

Ballarat’s Nathan Fox and formerly Ballarat-based Adam Cabble each reached the Gift final for the second year in a row.

Fox won a heat in 11.39 and repeated the dosed in semi-final in 11.40.

david.brehaut@fairfaxmedia.com.au

HOW THEY FINISHED

1-Marty Sinclair 10.5m

2-David Fenollar 8.25m

3-Shaun Fletcher 5m

4-Cam Dunbar 6m

5-Nathan Fox 6.75m

6-Adam Cabble 9.75m

HEAT WINNERS

Nathan Fox (Ballarat) 6.75m - 11.39

David Fenollar (Jacana) 8.25m - 11.18

Adam Cabble (Chirnside Park) 9.75m - 11.49

Marty Sinclair (Newcastle) 10.5m - 11.37

Rob Lehmann (Ballarat) 6.75m - 11.29

Justin Templar (Altona North - ex-Ballarat) 10m - 11.50

Shaun Fletcher (NSW) 5m - 11.23

Tamer Sirin (Roxburgh Park) 5.5m - 11.70 in a walkover

SEMI-FINAL WINNERS

Shaun Fletcher - 11.22

Nathan Fox - 11.40

Cam Dunbar - 11.23