The Melbourne teenager leads a quality field of runners for the Gift carnival at the Northern Oval on Sunday week.

Brown has already taken out two of AustraliaChr(39)s `big fourChr(39) gifts _ the Bay Sheffield in Adelaide on Boxing Day and the Burnie Gift, in Tasmania, on New YearChr(39)s Day.

Paralympic gold medallist in the 4x400m relay at Sydney and Stawell semi finalist in 2000 Tim Matthews will attract a big crowd to the Ballarat carnival.

There are a record 647 entries for the Ballarat carnival, of which 91 will contest the Gift.

Former Stawell Gift winners Rod Mathews and Jason Richardson will demonstrate their explosive pace across the lush but firm 120m Northern Oval track.

This yearChr(39)s Maryborough Gift winner Evan King and Wangaratta Gift winner on Australia Day, Matthew Callard, will also run.

Mathews, King and the in-form Peter `PoddyChr(39) OChr(39)Dwyer will wave the local flag.

Amateur Braden Fraser will also be worth a flutter.

He has been performing well over 100m and 200m and is the current 100m Victorian titleholder.

Justin Lewis, brother of Olympian Tamsin Lewis, is also well credentialed over the 70m and 120m distances.

The Ballarat Gift carnival includes a top line up of middle distance runners and the $1000 WomenChr(39)s Gift money will be hotly contested among top Ballarat runners Jane Hubbard, trained by Mickey Benoit, and Jennifer MacGibbon who was runner-up in the 100m at Stawell in 2000.

Shane Ezard and Morgan Coull will be the big guns in the 400m backmarkers handicap.

Morgan, who has overcome serious illness, and Ezard are both winners at Stawell.

Robert Ballard, former Olympic 4X400 representative, will also race.

Ballarat veteran Peter Emerson will be having his second race over the gut-wrenching distance.

The 38-year-old is off a difficult handicap of 56m.

In the 1600m distance, world cross country team member Mark Thompson on 45m and top amateur runners Jason Rock and Dean Pauline are making a comeback into the professional ranks.