Short-priced favourite: Gout Gout’s hurdle to overcome to make history at the Stawell Gift

Gout Gout will have to overcome a major hurdle at the Stawell Gift, with a quirk in the rankings adding an extra roadblock to the teenage superstar’s chance to create history.

Gout Gout’s bid to create history at the Stawell Gift has hit a major hurdle, with the young star drawing the short-priced favourite in the semi-finals.

A quirk in the rankings after Saturday’s heats meant that the event’s drawcard, who is off starting 1m, faces South Australian John Evans who is running from the luxury mark of 9.5m in Australia’s richest footrace.

Only the winners from the six semi-finals progress through to the Gift final.

Gout looked impressive in his heat, clocking 12.31sec, which ranked him as the 12th fastest qualifier into the semi-finals with Evans’ 12.13sec the fastest.

Under the Gift rules the seedings on times for the semi-finals match 1st with 12th, then 2nd with 11th and so on.

If the 17-year-old superstar’s time had been ranked 13th he could have ended up in any of the other semi-finals.

Gout Gout wins heat 21 of the Powercor Stawell Gift. Picture: Morgan Hancock/Getty Images

But given Gout’s ability to defy all challenges so far in his career – last week he ran an incredible wind-assisted 19.84sec in winning the open 200m national title – there are many who still believe he could pull off a miracle at Central Park.

There is also a lot of love for Lachlan Kennedy, who ran 10sec at last year’s national championships, after he looked particularly impressive in his heat win, clocking the second fastest time, 12.23sec, from 0.25m.

Ch 7 athletics commentator David Culbert, who will call the Gift final alongside legendary broadcaster Bruce McAvaney, says whether Evans can handle the pressure is the biggest factor.

“This is his Olympic final, he (Evans) has got the two biggest races of his entire life tomorrow afternoon,” Culbert said.

“The times don’t lie here, if he runs that again then he’s going to be hard to beat but he is going to be absolutely waiting for the flash (in Gout) to arrive.

“Then Evans has got to come back (in the final) and do it again and we know Kennedy doesn’t seem too fussed about all of that.”

Culbert said there had been many celebrated pro runners who’d looked like Usain Bolt in Saturday’s heats, only to let the occasion get to them on the Monday.

“Evans will have been lying in bed (on Saturday night) thinking about his race over and over again,” he said.

“He ran great yesterday but there is a celebrated list of people who haven’t been able to run better (in the finals).

“His coach Paul Young is a very good pro coach who won this race 40 years ago so they’ve probably set him (Evans) for this given it’s the 40-year anniversary.

“He’s a great bloke but he’s never coached the winner so he will be pacing up and down as well.

“That’s the thing, these guys have got to deal with it, some of them do and some of them don’t, I hope he does because it would be great.”

After a marathon autograph signing session on Saturday, Gout returned to the track to watch his training partner Jon Kasiano race in the 70m semi-finals.

Lachlan Kennedy is flying under the radar. Picture: Maya Thompson/Getty Images

He then attended the Stawell Gold Cup race meeting where he was the official starter of the egg and spoon race.

“He’s 17 so he doesn’t care about all this stuff,” Culbert said.

“And while all of this is going on, Lachie Kennedy is flying under the radar.”

Evans is the $3.50 favourite with Kennedy, who clashes with 2018 winner Jacob Despar (1.75m) in his semi-final, at $5. (There is no betting allowed on Gout because he is 17).

In the women’s Gift, Australian Olympian Bree Rizzo (scratch) is the feel-good story as she looks to match the deeds of her husband Matt who won the men’s Gift in 2017.

Victoria’s Jasmine Rowe, who has switched from 400m hurdles to sprinting, is the $3.50 favourite off the generous front mark of 11m.

Originally published as Short-priced favourite: Gout Gout’s hurdle to overcome to make history at the Stawell Gift