St Albans Gift race winner Matthew Mifsud with coach Benny Tancredi. 75941 Picture: EMILY LANE
BY MICHAEL ESPOSITO
MATTHEW Mifsud has his eyes firmly set on a Keilor Gift victory after breaking through for his first Gift win at St Albans on Saturday night.
Mifsud claimed the St Albans Gift off an 11.25m handicap, defeating Ararat’s Marcus Cooper (11.25m) and former Keilor Gift winner Cam Dunbar (6.75m).
It was devastating luck for Geelong West’s Mark Hignett, who was in front with 10 metres to go but broke down.
But for Mifsud, it was redemption after suffering his share of hard luck last season. The Coburg resident was leading the pack three-quarters down the track of the Keilor Gift before tearing his hamstring. The previous meet he was two-hundredths of a second away from claiming the Stonnington Gift.
Mifsud was unable to run anywhere near his peak for the remainder of the 2010/11 season.
Mifsud’s coach Benny Tancredi said Mifsud was raring to go for the Keilor Gift.
“He’ll go alright, there’s no problem there, he’s keen for it,” Tancredi said.
Tancredi will have a number of runners competing at Keilor on 18 February, including Brunswick West’s Sam Vickery in the novice 400m, a race Tancredi has had plenty of success in.
In recent years, runners from the Tancredi stable who have won the 400m novice include Paul Keating (who won the open 400m the following year), Adam Larsson, Steven Marsh and Jessica Farrugia, who last year defeated an otherwise male field. Marsh will contest the open 400m.
Hadfield’s Rita Pana, who ran second in the 120m metres handicap behind Sarah Blizzard, will also be at Keilor.
Tancredi said he loved attending the Keilor Gift, because of its rich history, prestige, and the fact that the Tancredi name is synonymous with success at the event – his son Paul is a two-time winner of the Keilor Gift (2006 and 2009).
Other St Albans Gift placegetters were: 70m Open: 1. Travis Soulter, 2. Peter Walsh, 3. Cam Dunbar; 120m RACV series: 1. Cam Moss, 2. Simon Carey, 3. Jordan Keast; 120m Women’s Handicap: 1. Sarah Blizzard, 2. Rita Pana, 3. Patricia Fox. 300m Veterans: 1. Craig Lancaster, 2. Gary Connor, 3. Julie Torrini; 400m Women’s Handicap: 1. Kathryn Heagney, 2. Mandy Emmett, 3. Tarryn Fisher; 400m Open: 1. Chris Hargreaves, 2. Josh Mather, 3. Matt Grant; 800m Open: 1. Mark Hipworth, 2. Justin Murphy, 3. Jayson Hayes-Horni; 1600m Open: 1. Andrew Patten, 2. Mark Hipworth, 3. Wayne James; 1600m Novice, 1. Jacob Reed, 2. Peter Cowell, 3. Luke Wilke.
