Stawell Gift organisers have fiercely rejected claims of unfair handicapping after crowd favourites Gout Gout and Lachlan Kennedy missed the final, calling the accusations of sabotage “absolute nonsense.”
Over Easter weekend, 28-year-old schoolteacher John Evans stunned spectators by winning the $40,000 prize with a 9.75-meter handicap advantage, clocking 11.94 seconds. Meanwhile, star sprinters Gout Gout (17) and Lachlan Kennedy (21)—running off tighter handicaps of 1.00m and 0.25m—failed to reach the final.
Fans flooded social media, accusing handicapper Colin Lane of rigging the event. But Victorian Athletic League (VAL) president Matt McDonough dismissed the criticism.
“Stawell Gift Rules Followed,” Says VAL. Victorian Athletic League president Matt McDonough defended the system.
“Suggesting rigged handicaps is baseless. The algorithm placed Gout and Evans in the same heat—unlucky, but fair.”
Meanwhile, Kennedy’s trainer, Andrew Iselin, blasted conspiracy theories: “Stawell Gift handicappers use data, not bias. Calling it ‘rigged’ is crap. If they’d favoured stars, we’d still hear complaints.”
How the Stawell Gift System Works
The VAL awards handicap bonuses up to 0.75m to runners who compete in early-season races. Evans, who won December’s Terang Gift, stacked these bonuses and trained intensely. “He earned every meter,” McDonough said.
Elite sprinters like Gout and Kennedy, who focus on non-handicap events, received tougher marks. McDonough admitted the system struggles to balance regular competitors and late-entering stars: “We’ll review rules to fix this gap.”
System Under Review
The Stawell Gift’s handicap bonuses—rewarding early-season runners like Evans—will face scrutiny. McDonough admitted that elites like Gout get tougher marks. “We’ll adjust rules to balance regulars and late stars.”
What’s Next for Stawell Gift?
The VAL plans to overhaul two key areas:
- Semi-final seeding: Top runners may be separated to avoid a “clash of titans” in early heats.
- Elite athlete adjustments: New rules could account for professional sprinters’ late entries.
Proposed changes include seeding top runners in separate semi-finals and creating new rules for professional athletes. “We want drama, not doubts,” McDonough said. The clash between grassroots competitors and elite sprinters highlights a growing divide in handicap racing. While Evans’ win thrilled traditionalists, casual fans demanded more star power—a balance organizers vow to strike by 2026.
