Last year’s Daylesford Gift winner Michael Kember will return to defend his title on Saturday.
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Kember will run off a handicap of 5.5 metres in the third heat and event organiser Adrian Tinetti said it was great to welcome back the 2016 winner.
“It’s always a bit of a bonus (to welcome last year’s winner back). He was a pretty gracious winner last year so hopefully he does well again,” Tinetti said.
Kember, who does a lot of beach running in his home state of New South Wales, will be one of the top runners to keep an eye on in the men’s field.
While Jamaican Khan Marr is another that will draw attention. Marr, based in Williamstown, has an impressive sprinting background in Jamaica – he will race in heat 8.
The eight heats have a strong Ballarat flavour, with promising youngsters Mason Keast and Liam Hanrahan leading the charge as nine Ballarat runners will look to qualify through to the semi’s and then the final.
Daylesford Gift heats
Heat 1: Tim Rooke (Pascoe Vale) 4.25m, Aidan Green (Blackburn) 5m, Adam Burchell (Wangaratta) 6.25m, Liam Hanrahan (Navigators) 7m, Noddy Angelakos (East Keilor) 7.5m, Blake Bailey (Pakenham) 8, Chris Diegan (Williamstown) 9m, Nick Howard (Glenroy) 11.75m
Heat 2: Caleb Byrt (Ballarat) 5m, Thomas Moloney (Ballarat North) 5.5m, Jack Wilson (Diggers Rest) 6.25m, Michael Bull (Melbourne) 7m, Mason Keast (Delacombe) 7.5m, Matthew Harvey (Edithvale) 8m, Richard Brown (Balmoral) 9m, Julian Fawcett (Balnarring) 12.5m
Heat 3: Nicholas Antonino (North Croydon) 5m, Michael Kember (Cromer Heights) 5.5m, Robert (Vladimir) Spencer (North Melbourne) 6.5m, Matt Burleigh (Croydon Hills) 7m, Bayley Drummond (Ballarat) 7.5m, Rupert Lugo (Forest Hill) 8m, John Cara (East Doncaster) 10m, Richard Norris (Coorparoo) 17.5m
Heat 4: Jason Blood (Mt Clear) 5m, Tom Sclanders (Adelaide) 5.5m, Nikolas Doumas (Eltham) 6.5m, Sean Law (North Warrandyte) 7.25m, Bikramjeet Singh (Coburg North) 8.25m, Daniel Martin (Ballarat) 10.5m, Jonathon Rogers (Lysterfield) 12.5m, Jeff Sargent (Ballarat) 18.25m
Heat 5: Matthew Soroczynski (Narre Warren North) 5m, Angelo Litras (Ballarat) 5.75m, Cam Dunbar (Ringwood East) 6.75m, Jack Doderico (Glengarry) 7.5m, Dion Paull (Croydon) 7.5m, Kristerfer Kardakovski (Epping) 8.25m, Tim Rosen (Bentleigh East) 10.75m, Glenn Stephens (Eaglehawk) 13.75m
Heat 6: Corey Baker (Black Hill) 5m, Daniel Sonsini (Wantirna) 5.75m, Doug Greenough (Kew East) 6.75m, Samuel Sabbatucci (Brighton East) 7.5m, Craig mair (Melbourne) 8.5m, Vic Sharma (Winston Hills) 10.75m, Elly Graf (Yowie Bay) 15m
Heat 7: James Vine (Malvern) 5m, Jack Armour (Newtown) 6m, Joshua Tiu (Doncaster) 6.75m, Jason Bailey (Pakenham) 7.5m, Tom Paavola (Narara) 7.75m, Nick Magree (Ferntree Gully) 8.75m, Lawrence Coop (Lower Templestowe) 10.75m, Stephanie Richards (Maidstone) 16.25m
Heat 8: Khan Marr (Williamstown) 3m, Tom Noden (Eaglehawk) 5m, Matthew Eddy (Narre Warren) 6m, Nicholas Florio (Donvale) 7m, Jake Miocic (Ararat) 7.5m, Dean Wiggins (Lower Templestowe) 8m, Corey Williams (Lilydale) 8.75m, Walter Pasquali (Wangaratta) 11m
