Former Stawell Gift winner Andrew Robinson is among the headline acts at the 63rd St Helens Carnival on Saturday.
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The Launceston sprint star will start off the back mark of 3.75 metres at the town’s recreation ground.
However, Robinson will face stiff competition over 120m with many of the usual suspects of Tasmania’s sporting carnivals signed up to race including Jarred Gilroy, off 4.75m, and Luke Whitney (5.50m).
Reigning champion Ross Lovell, of Launceston, who also won the gift in 2012, is not listed among the entries.
The athletes are in for a busy day with most also entered for both the 70m and 400m.
In the 70m, Robinson will again start from the back off 2.50m with Gilroy off 3.25m, Whitney 3.75m and the trio of Edward Gates, Jesse James and Logan James all off 4.25m.
The absence of reigning women’s gift champion Carmen Oakley, of Latrobe, opens the door for Somerset’s Morgan Gaffney but the carnivals stalwart has paid a heavy price for beating Olympian Morgan Mitchell in the Burnie Gift on New Year’s Day.
Gaffney will start from 1.75m with her closest rivals Kiara Chambers and Abby Chapman off 4m and 5m respectively. All three are also listed to run the 70m and 400m.
Launceston triathlete Dylan Evans is the only competitor scheduled to run from scratch on the day in the 3200m.
The program runs from 10am until 5pm with the women’s and men’s gift finals at 2.20 and 2.50pm respectively, either side of the wheelrace finals won by Devonport’s Michael Astell and Hobart’s Madeleine Fasnacht last year. Events also include lightning handicaps, eliminations and scratch races. Woodchopping starts at 9.30am.