By a nose … Gavin O’Neil, left, crosses the line first in the St Albans Gift. 59502 Pictures: KRISTIAN SCOTT
By Michael Esposito
MELTON’S Gavin O’Neil broke an 18-year drought to win the St Albans Gift in dramatic fashion on Saturday night.
Running off a frontmarker handicap of 11.5m, O’Neil, 35, defeated Matthew Mifsud (11m) in a photo finish to take out the 120m footrace and take home $4000.
It was a long-time coming for the veteran, who has competed in about 50 gifts in his career but had never pulled through until Saturday. He rated the victory greater than any one of the many 70m races O’Neil has won.
“This is probably my best win. I’ve won a lot of other races but its been so frustrating not to win a race over this distance, and it’s been building up and building up so even though it wasn’t a huge race it’s a big relief. It’s been driving me mad, I’ve made probably about 50 finals, and I’ve always been the bridesmaid,” O’Neil said.
“I knew I had a bit of a handicap on them … I just got out as quick as I could and just tried to hold them off the whole way and that’s how it turned out.”
O’Neil said he decided to focus on solely on the 120m distance the season, rather than the shorter distances which have given him so much success. O’Neil advanced to the semi-final of the Maryborough, Rye and Wangaratta gifts before St Albans.
“In other years I’ve sort of just focused on even the shorter distance. But I’ve had constant injuries over the years but I’ve got my body pretty sound now and I had good form leading into it, and I went there to win it.”
Making the victory even more impressive is that O’Neil is his own coach, and trains two hours a day six days a week.
“I’ve got a young family so it’s a little bit hard. It gets really tough at times but I’ve been doing it for four or five years.”
O’Neil said he will have a few weeks off before concentrating on building up to the Ballarat and Stawell Gifts.
Williamstown’s Chris Diegan took out the 70m open handicap, while Westmeadows resident Katrina Buckingham won the 120m women’s race.
Rowville’s David Williamson won the 400m open handicap, Brunswick’s David Woods won the 800m handicap, while Wangaratta’s Brendan Norden took out the 1600m handicap.
Werribee’s Brad Hoare won the 400m novice, and Soldiers Hill woman Patricia Fox won the female 400m race.
