On the line … Cam Dunbar will be aiming to defend his Keilor Gift title on 19 February. 43187
By Michael Esposito
VICTORIAN Athletics League starter Matthew Webster has seen some extraordinary races in past Keilor Gifts.
One recent final that sticks out for him was the 2007 race, which was won by NSW’s Daniel Sammut in one of the closest sprints in the gift’s history.
“It was just a blanket finish that particular night,” Webster recalled. “The judges couldn’t split them, they had to go to the VAL finishing machine and video equipment to determine the first three runners in the gift. There was 0.15 seconds separating six runners.”
Webster, a member of the Keilor Sports Club, is expecting another classic sprint on 19 February.
The scene is set for a super showdown with last year’s winner Cam Dunbar keen to defend his title and a couple of in-form Mornington Peninsula runners ready to strike.
“Cam Dunbar is certainly primed and ready to defend his title and I expect to see him as a finalist. He’s running very, very well,” Webster said.
Mornington Peninsula’s Matt Carter has won the Peninsula Gift and Maryborough Gift this year, and is a chance to notch up a trifecta, although he will most likely be the backmarker.
Also from the Peninsula is Bros Kelly, who came second in the Peninsula and Rye gifts.
“You can look who’s in the final of the Keilor gift and you know that a few weeks later when Stawell comes at Easter time that one of those finalists will be running very well at Stawell, and sometimes the winner of the Stawell gift is hidden in the Keilor gift final,” Webster said.
“It’s a great lead-up race to what is defined as the holy grail of professional athletics.”
While Stawell maybe the holy grail, Keilor is certainly regarded as one of the most prestigious handicapped running events in Victoria.
“We like to pride ourselves on being the premier athletic carnival the Victorian Athletics League have on their circuit in the metropolitan area,” Webster said.
“Fortunately this year we don’t clash with the Victorian championships or the national championships so we don’t lose some of the top runners. Hopefully we’ll pick up a half-a-dozen top-line athletes in the entries.”
