King shapes up for Gift

Updated November 5 2012 - 12:08pm, first published March 21 2005 - 12:27pm

SEASONED professional sprinter Evan King is shaping up as Ballarat's main contender in Australia's richest 120m footrace - The Australia Post Stawell Gift - on Easter Monday.
King, 33, who was been runner-up in the $52,000 final in 1997, has the handy mark of 7.5m.
The Len-Templar-trained runner finished fourth in the Stawell Gift final last year on a tighter mark of 6.75m - now he is three quarters of metre better off this weekend.
Former stablemate and finalist at Stawell, Peter O'Dwyer who trains the POD Squad of professional runners, is on 9m but age and injuries are starting to catch up with the class runner of the past two decades.
O'Dwyer is 39 in three weeks and is arguably a better prospect in the veteran's 100m at Stawell.
"But if I make the semi finals of the Gift I won't run the vet's as my body would not stand up to it," the pragmatic O'Dwyer said.
O'Dwyer also has Matt Stewart, off 6.5m, in the mix for the Gift, but he was not confident the developing sprinter is ready for the big league this year.
"Matt should go okay and make the semis but he is a bit underdone - it will probably not be his year this year," O'Dwyer added.
Michael Poulton-trained Luke Madden is off 6.75m but may find the mark a little tough at this stage because of his interrupted preparation this season.
Poulton, himself, is off 11.25m in the vet's 100m.
Grandson of trainer Templar, Justin Templar off 10m, has continued to impress as a sprinter with a big future and all eyes will be on how he handles the big league.
Templar this season won the Sandringham Gift, made the final finishing fourth at the Wallan meeting and was second in the Geelong Gift earlier in the month.
The vastly-improved sprinter also recorded a second in the Ararat Gift, the day after the Ballarat Gift last month.
Another up and coming sprinter, BJ Lloyd could surprise off 8.5m.
The O'Dwyer-trained sprinter has had an injury and work-restricted season but could be at his best for Stawell.
He won this month's Geelong Novice Gift in about 13.2 seconds.
Templar-trained 1999 Stawell Gift winner Rod Mathews is another with the experience and has the will to win off one of the outmarks of 9.5m in teh Gift.
The veteran, however, at this stage of his career, is more likely to feature in the 400m backmarkers.
Among the promising youngsters from Ballarat, O'Dwyer was quietly confident of the potential of 16-year-old Sam Gibb, who is "mixing it with the men well" for the backmarkers 400m and 550m races.
Another young gun, Charlie McKay, 21, was a member of Ballarat Grammar's 4X100m and 4X200m State schoolboys championship relay teams in 2000 and is coming on well in the middle distance events.
He is off 22m in the 400m backmarkers.
Ballarat's fastest schoolboy Leigh Etteridge, 18, is another "POD Squad" member expected to take it right up to the field in the Novice 100m.
The Year 12 student at Mt Clear off 6.75m has shown the type of form this season that will be a big plus on the Stawell stage.
Nathan Fox (6.5m), trained by Nev Down, is a big chance in the Novice 100m and has also entered in the Gift off the mark of 7.75m.
Again in the 400s, veteran Paul Hughes, 37, is an O'Dwyer-trained runner that could surprise.
Other 100m vets runners that could feature this year at Stawell include Col McCurry off 15m, Michael O'Meara (18.25m) and a favourite "son" of the Templar stable Doug Armstrong off 20m.
The 70m Open Handicap also holds plenty of interest for Ballarat runners with O'Dwyer and Stewart expected to do well off 3.5m.
Albury's Daniel Steinhauser, a top Ovens and Murray footballer and finalist at the 2005 Ballarat Gift under Stawell Gift-winning trainer Marcus Arnold is one to watch off 4.5m.
Again Fox (4.75m), Templar (6.25m), Mathews (7.25m) and particularly King (5.25) will be real contenders in the 70m.
Veteran Greg O'Keefe (Wangaratta) who continues to surprise making finals in open company at Stawell is off 7.5m and cannot be dismissed either.
In the Women's Strickland Family sprint, Ballarat's Patricia Andison will wave the flag for our city off 7m, while Laura Jane Hilditch of Bacchus Marsh off 8m also cannot be discounted.
Entries in the 400m backmarkers include Mathews (12m), King (18m), Madden (26m), Templar (30m), Adam Ratcliffe (30m) who won the 400m at Sandringham, Hughes (34m), B. J. Lloyd (35m) and veteran Poulton 36m.
In the frontmarkers 400m, Ballarat is represented by Mathews (12m), veteran Peter O'Donnell (36m), veteran McCurry (52m), Chris Livitsanos of Invermay (55m) and veteran Michael O'Meara (60m).
Nathan Hartigan, another grandson of Len Templar, has entered in the mile and two mile events and has the potential to do well at Stawell, his grandfather believes.
"In a couple of miles this season he has run a third and fourth and he will certainly be a future distance runner. He has come along well with Steve Moneghetti also actings as a mentor for him," Templar added.

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