2023/24 Winners lists (ongoing)

A space to add the winners from the gifts throughout the season for ease of tracking! Comment if you believe something to be wrong and I'll re-check.



WOMENS

Meet               Distance          Athlete                                Mark      Stawell Mark

Cobden              100m           Jennifer King                           8.75        11.00
Mortlake            120m           Grace Carter                           11.25       11.00
Geelong             100m          Georgia Mills                            13.50       11.00
Warrnambool     120m           Chloe Manix-Power                   3.50         4.25
Terang               120m           Grace Hewitt                            4.75         5.50
Waverley           100m           Olivia May                                7.50          9.75
Maryborough      120m           Cassandra Wang Lecouter         6.75          6.75
St. Albans         120m            Ebony Newton                          7.25          7.25
Rye                   120m            Amber Van Ede                        13.00        11.00
Frankston           100m           Georgia Mills                            13.00        11.00
Wangaratta        120m            Chloe Kinnersley                       9.25          9.75m
Shepparton        120m            Zoe Neale                                4.75           5.25
Beachside           100m            Layla Watson                           6.00           7.50m
Ballarat               120m             Ruby Crisp                             16.25         11.00m
Keilor                 120m             Jemma Pollard                        8.50m         8.75m
Castlemaine 120m Miriam Suares-Jury 7.50m 7.75m

MENS

Meet               Distance          Athlete                                  Mark      Stawell Mark

Cobden              100m           Endale Mekonnen                    5.00           6.75
Mortlake            120m           Aaron Peter-Budge                   6.00           6.75
Geelong             100m           Saye Morris                             2.75           4.25
Warrnambool     120m           Brad Hunt                                6.00           6.75
Terang               120m           Maki Loukeris                           7.25          7.75
Waverley           100m           Hugh Hoffman                          7.50          10.00
Maryborough      120m           Lawson Power                          5.00          5.00
St. Albans          120m           Cooper Sherman                       2.00           2.50
Rye                   120m            Jake Ireland                             5.00          5.50
Frankston           100m           Tapasu Paea                             5.50          7.25
Wangaratta        120m            Jack Lacey                               9.00          9.50
Shepparton        120m            Jared Glover                             7.50          8.00
Beachside           100m            Jack Boulton                           3.00           3.25
Ballarat               120m            Cooper Sherman                     1.00           0.00m
Keilor                  120m            Jerome Lugo                           9.00m        9.25m
Castlemaine 120m Kevin Brittain 10.25m 10.00m

Nice job Donatello. It will be good to see this list growing as the season continues into 2024.
Just looking at Olivia May winning from 7.50m in the 100m. I feel that her starting hcp for the 120m is 9.25m. So an Easter hcp of 10.00m.
She has an rpm avg. of 0.1265 from last season = 10m; rounding down from 10.11m.
She also won 3k Beachside Gift at a 0.75m penalty = 9.25m.
The conversion to 100m hcp from 9.25m comes out at 7.70 and so is rounded down to 7.50m.
Similar situation with Hugh Hoffman, who has run from 9.25m at the 120m Gift meets this season, but went back to win from 7.50m also in the 100m.

Any updates to this list Donatello. Who's the early bunny favourites.?

Early favourites for me would be Hunt , Lacey and Hoffman in the Mens and Mannix Power,  Newton and now add Z Neale to the list. Those 3 women look certain finalists to me.

Tapasu passes Hoffman and lacey in the first 30m. He's got them covered. Hunt and loukeris right in the picture.

C.W.L and Newton for the womens

I liked Tapasu’s run at Frankston but I have been burnt by a RAD hamstring on 2 occasions so won’t fall into that again. From memory he did it at Geelong. But if he stays healthy he is certainly in the mix. And the fact Morris went at Burnie tells me Scott has another one. So could be TJ or maybe it’s Jara. I don’t know

Sherman only has 2.50m. The lift from St. Albans was only .50m from that stage.
I don’t think Maki should be on 7.75 considering he ran ceiling at Terang.

Thatsthestats wrote:I liked Tapasu’s run at Frankston but I have been burnt by a RAD hamstring on 2 occasions so won’t fall into that again. From memory he did it at Geelong. But if he stays healthy he is certainly in the mix. And the fact Morris went at Burnie tells me Scott has another one. So could be TJ or maybe it’s Jara. I don’t know

Sayes year was back end focused on track. Stawell off 4m would be right in the mix, but time to take his talents see what he can achieve on rubber. His Rpm at Frankston 70m looks very promising.
Exciting times. Exciting finish to the season both on grass and track incoming.
Everyone is leveling up.
Good luck all.

Thatsthestats wrote:I liked Tapasu’s run at Frankston but I have been burnt by a RAD hamstring on 2 occasions so won’t fall into that again. From memory he did it at Geelong. But if he stays healthy he is certainly in the mix. And the fact Morris went at Burnie tells me Scott has another one. So could be TJ or maybe it’s Jara. I don’t know

Paea and Jara won’t be winning Stawell, Paea just doesn’t have the backend and Jara can’t put two races together unfortunately

I agree with Sanchez, Loukeris will be stuck on 7 as he ran ceiling, otherwise he would be starting favourite off 7.75m

Well. Well. Looking forward to
proving you wrong. Jacob had no back end to apparently, Game on.

Norm the Form wrote:

Thatsthestats wrote:I liked Tapasu’s run at Frankston but I have been burnt by a RAD hamstring on 2 occasions so won’t fall into that again. From memory he did it at Geelong. But if he stays healthy he is certainly in the mix. And the fact Morris went at Burnie tells me Scott has another one. So could be TJ or maybe it’s Jara. I don’t know

Paea and Jara won’t be winning Stawell, Paea just doesn’t have the backend and Jara can’t put two races together unfortunately

I agree with Sanchez, Loukeris will be stuck on 7 as he ran ceiling, otherwise he would be starting favourite off 7.75m

The Samoan Sniper will be in the gift final.
Runs exceptionally well under pressure and doesn’t worry too much about other people and distractions.
Most people that wanna make a Stawell gift final are to busy chasing opinions on how they think they will go.
Tapasu injured himself at Geelong regardless of the severity he went to Waverley and tried his luck but lost fitness.
History has shown that people that win 100m gifts are looking to win that to focus on the back end while doing a block of training instead of racing every weekend chasing ticks.

This stinks of Scott’s 2nd account.

However I understand where you’re coming from. Don’t get me wrong, I’d love to see Paea in the final, a worthy finalist if he can get there, would make others around him nervous with his devastating start. Only time will tell

Norm the Form wrote:This stinks of Scott’s 2nd account.

However I understand where you’re coming from. Don’t get me wrong,  I’d love to see Paea in the final, a worthy finalist if he can get there, would make others around him nervous with his devastating start. Only time will tell

I’m not Scott, I don’t personally like him so that should tell you enough there.
I have just watched him win Castlemaine 2 years in a row and just want to get a gift win.
His not the only athlete I would like to see in the final I just think his over looked.

There is no doubt there is no stopping Brad hunt.
Built for the uphill Stawell track

Current Finalist thoughts:

WOMENS:

Mannix-Power
Hewitt
Newton
Neale
Watson

and my favourite theory... Torrie Lewis (no idea if she runs though)! off scratch and even running 11.4-5 pace would have her in the mix for the final imo.

MENS:

Mekonnen
Hunt
Paea
Lacey
Loukeris
Sherman

Not sure if I'm seeing or can think of any roughies in the Mens....

What are we thinking?

donatello wrote:Current Finalist thoughts:

WOMENS:

Mannix-Power
Hewitt
Newton
Neale
Watson

and my favourite theory... Torrie Lewis (no idea if she runs though)! off scratch and even running 11.4-5 pace would have her in the mix for the final imo.

MENS:

Mekonnen
Hunt
Paea
Lacey
Loukeris
Sherman

Not sure if I'm seeing or can think of any roughies in the Mens....

What are we thinking?

Hugh Hoffman absent from every Gift after winning Waverley convincingly. Unless he cops a stiff semi and there’s an upset, can’t see him missing the final.

Paea is a weapon, but the extra metres could work against his powerful frame. If he knuckles down between now and Stawell, is every chance of laying down a Herald Sun headline performance on day 1.

Kieren Mundine has to be there abouts again 10.08 off 3.75 at Newcastle in a 100 and will take an extra quarter to stawell. Definitely one to watch, I think we’ll see him in the pointy end of the final.

Shermanator can win Stawell Gift off Scratch?.

Off scratch? Computer says 'no''. If he can win off scratch, he'd be focusing on a far more important event being held in Europe this year.

I'm so looking forward to see the winner of stawell be an athlete who has gone away and improved enough of there handicap to make a difference rather than play the game week in week out played dead, got lifts and freebies and wins by a heap and embarrasses the sport on national TV.

Celebrate before the Line wrote:I'm so looking forward to see the winner of stawell be an athlete who has gone away and improved enough of there handicap to make a difference rather than play the game week in week out played dead, got lifts and freebies and wins by a heap and embarrasses the sport on national TV.

Might see another Harrison Kerr this year

Celebrate before the Line wrote:I'm so looking forward to see the winner of stawell be an athlete who has gone away and improved enough of there handicap to make a difference rather than play the game week in week out played dead, got lifts and freebies and wins by a heap and embarrasses the sport on national TV.

As opposed to what ? Not running at any of the small events ? People that ‘Play the game’ week in week out, are the people keeping the sport alive. People that complain about the cheaters, are the ones that get a big win and you don’t see them again.

Bill Clinton  - that's the stupidest comment I think 'Ive read on this forum and there's been some doozies. Most athletes who run week to week are not playing games but genuinely trying their best to win a race.
Its the game players who are ruining the sport.
Fine, suspend or re-handicap the game plyers and clean the sport up.  Its a joke at the moment.
Under your stupidity the Olympics should be open to all drug cheats because "they keep the game going."
Can't pander to those ripping at the integrity of the sport just because the deliberately run dead to get lifts.

There’s a bit of talk about Peter-Budge in another channel, made me think about whether he satisfies the criteria of being eligible for the 0.75m bonus for winning Mortlake.

Main sticking point:

“To be eligible for a lift, athletes must have completed 3 VAL sanctioned races, each at a different meeting, over the 100/120m distance in the previous or current season in their respective category, or have a handicap that is less than the novice handicap.”

I would think the intention of this statement is for 3 races to be completed prior to winning (Otherwise you could win first up and then run at a reduced mark to satisfy this point which defeats the purpose of the rule).

Having not run since 2020, competing at Cobden and then winning Mortlake… Looks like it is heading for the same situation as Jasper Thomas from last season and potentially finds himself on 5.25m at Easter.

Steviej wrote:…
I would think the intention of this statement is for 3 races to be completed prior to winning (Otherwise you could win first up and then run at a reduced mark to satisfy this point which defeats the purpose of the rule).
…

Correct.

Here’s a question for all you then..

Does Endale get his lift? Only had two runs in the previous season over the gift distance. Warrnambool 2022 and Stawell 2023.
Won the first meeting this year therefore not completing 3 races prior to winning Cobden