The 29-year-old has largely been cut down with foot injuries since representing Australia in the 2016 Rio Olympics and 2017 world championships in London, but looks to have turned a corner after winning the 5km race at the Cadbury marathon in Hobart last weekend.

Clark will run off 250m in the 3200m – the only two-mile race on the carnival schedule – with Launceston’s national junior cross country champion Sam Clifford taking the back mark of 50m.

“I raced at Burnie on New Year’s Day and then again on the golf course at Cadbury estate last weekend, so I’m enjoying racing on grass at present,” Clark said.  

“I’ve had a bad run of injuries, but the body is good now and it’s about getting fit again.

“While I’m usually a road racer, these races on grass have been just what I needed to get the groove back this summer.”

St Helens will also see the conclusion to the $500 runner and cyclist of the series gongs, with Deon Kenzie shaping as a near certainty for the former.

Launceston teenager Josh Duffy appears the main threat to Alexandara Martin-Wallace’s stranglehold on cyclist of the year, but would need to win two of the wheel, lightning and scratch races to be in contention. 

Recent Burnie gift champions Bec Kovacic, Kiani Allen and Morgan Gaffney will join Abby Chapman in a strong women’s gift field, with backmarker Ross Lovell, 2013 Stawell gift champion Andrew Robinson and Tasmanian pole vault record holder Matt Hosie favourites in the men’s gift. 

The program begins at 8.45am, with feature races to be held between 1:45pm and 3:30pm.

Cyclist of the series

Runner of the series