‘Got it wrong’: Stawell Gift’s Gout Gout and Lachlan Kennedy blunder laid bare

Stawell Gift organisers have been hammered for a handicap blunder that robbed fans of the showdown they came to see.

The Stawell Gift is the richest foot race in the country but a glaring flaw in the handicapping system has cost Aussie fans from witnessing Gout Gout and Lachlan Kennedy storm down the grass track in a bid to win the $40,000 on offer.

The 2025 edition of the iconic handicap race was able to attract the biggest name in Australian sprinting largely due to local farmer turned businessman Sandy McGregor paying teen phenom Gout a $50,000 appearance fee.

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It saw crowds flock to Central Park to watch both Gout and his close friend and rival Kennedy.

But in the end, fans were left disappointed after both men were bundled out in the semi-finals, unable to overcome their harsh handicaps.

With Gout off 1m and Kennedy off 0.25m, they were always facing an uphill battle to chase down fellow sprinters, given several metres headstart.

That was before a fierce headwind and rain hit Stawell on Monday making it extra difficult to win from the back of the pack.

In the end, the Gout ran into a sprinter who had every star aligned to become the Stawell Gift champion, in the semi.

John Evans, 28, was competing in his sixth Stawell Gift and everything came together for him.

While he’d been solid throughout the pro season, winning the Terang Gift off 9m and the Geelong Gift, he was given a big front mark of 9.75m for Stawell.

And after holding off Gout in the semi he won the final in a sizzling 11.94sec to claim the $40,000 winner’s cheque.

Gout Gout was given a tough handicap.

However, fans were furious that Gout and Kennedy were basically given little chance of winning the great race due to the tough handicaps.

“Very bad Gout Gout and Kennedy didn’t make the final, something is wrong with the system,” one fan wrote on X.

“He’s not Superman just yet. (Gout) needed to be given some sort of realistic chance,” another chipped in.

“He clearly wasn’t the fastest in the race as he had only won due to a head start. A race without Gout Gout and Kennedy who are clearly the quickest in the country just feels wrong,” a third said.

Even Bulldogs supremo Phil Gould voiced his displeasure, writing on X: “Outstanding work to handicap your biggest drawcard out of the final … So smart”.

Lachlan Kennedy was given the biggest handicap of any men’s competitor in the 2025 Stawell Gift. (Photo by Maya Thompson/Getty Images)

The major problem with the handicap system

The eventual Gift winner Evans never looked in any danger of losing any of his races, leading many to believe a major flaw in the handicap system was again exploited.

Ideally in handicapped races, if it is done right, all runners should cross the line at the same time, making for an incredible viewing spectacle.

However, the fact the two fastest men in the country weren’t even close to getting in the final shows handicappers simply got it wrong.

Since its first running in 1878, the Gift has been all about runners setting themselves up for a nice handicap and whoever often massages the system the best finds themselves going home with a $40,000 payday.

There have even been stories of runners deliberately underperforming in lead-up events to get favourable handicaps.

And while there is no suggestion any runner in this year’s Gift did that, it is a major worry with the handicap system.

John Evans reacts to winning the Stawell Gift Handicap. (Photo by Maya Thompson/Getty Images)

Even eventual Gift winner Evans admitted he felt he hit the jackpot with a 9.75m handicap.

“I knew it was a good handicap. I knew I could work something off that, and I just really had to train hard, push hard, see what I could do from it,” Evans said after the race.

“It was always going to be tough against like Jasper Thomas and Patrick Martin, all these other fantastic runners, but I knew it was good for me, and I had to just keep pushing from it.”

The odds were stacked against Gout Gout and Lachlan Kennedy

The handicapping for the Gift isn’t actually done by the Stawell Gift organisers but rather by the Victorian Athletic League, which allocates handicaps for professional races in the state.

While the idea of handicapped races is that all athletes are provided with a mark to even out differences in ability, with runners who are slower essentially receiving a head start, it rarely pans out that way, with backmarkers historically stitched up.

Despite not saying as much, Gout and Kennedy surely felt like they were given next to no chance by brutal handicaps of 1m and 0.25m respectively.

The Stawell Gift is a truly unique race (Photo by Martin KEEP / AFP)

A lot of the handicap process is trying to produce an even field while attempting to not be tricked into handing out too generous advantages.

That’s because each athlete has a huge $40,000 incentive to hide their true ability.

And the simple reality is if an athlete is given a handicap better than their ability, they have a greater chance of winning than one that has been running to their full potential and is penalised accordingly.

So undoubtedly some athletes over the years have taken advantage of that situation, with methods such as ensuring they race tired in lead-up events or even deliberately underperforming.

However, like it or not that is all part and parcel of contesting a handicap event and it is that dynamic that makes the Stawell Gift a truly unique event.

Originally published as ‘Got it wrong’: Stawell Gift’s Gout Gout and Lachlan Kennedy blunder laid bare