The BURNIE GIFT
One of the longest-running, continuous sporting events in the history of World Sport.
FULL RESULTS BURNIE CARNIVAL, NEW YEAR'S DAY 2016
GIFTED RUNNER: Burnie Gift winner John Howe was a surprise winner on Friday at West Park. Pictutre: Jason Hollister.
APPROACHING the Men's Gift final at the Burnie Carnival at West Park, it seemed the prestigious 120 metre race was shaping up as a battle between two men, Aaron Stubbs and Jack Hale.
But no-one gave John Howe that script, with the policeman who used to call Penguin home upstaging that duo in the biggest moment of his running life.
Howe (12.63) snuck home over Hale (12.69), with Alec Eiszele finishing third in 12.71.
Stubbs, the 2009 Stawell Gift winner, was fourth in 12.80.
Howe, who had a handicap of 5.25 metres, qualified fastest in his semi with a time of 12.73.
"This is the best field we have had here in a long time, with the likes of Jack, Josh (Ross), Stubbsy and Robbo (Stawell Gift winner Andrew Robinson), so you couldn't really ask for a better field," Howe said post-race.
"I really just go for broke out there.
"The start is the best bit of my race and any ground I can make up in that first 50, I win, so I managed to hold on against those fast finishing guys.
"I've won Latrobe before and a couple of smaller ones, but I had aimed on winning Burnie at some stage of my career, but thanks to Ray (coach Ray Quarrell) we got it done earlier that I thought."
But the 30-year-old is not letting the magnitude of his win go to his head, feeling there is room for improvement.
"I still think I have a bit to go, as before the Christmas Carnivals I had some calf problems.
"So I think with my coach Ray we can start improving again after this and build up towards state titles."
Howe's success capped off a sensational day of running in the Men's Gift, with runner-up Hale providing the biggest highlight pre-final.
After breaking and then being penalised, Hale was forced to run off -5 metres in his semi-final, but put that disadvantage to one side to finish second in his semi behind Eiszele to qualify for the final.
Stubbs showed his class by winning his semi final after running off scratch in a time of 12.79.
Two-time winner and Stawell and Bay-Sheffield victor Josh Ross failed to qualify for the final, but entertained the crowd none the less with a strong run in his heat, finishing second after running off scratch.
ON THE LINE: Amy Cure, on the right, narrowly edges out Annette Edmondson to claim victory in the women's Burnie Wheel on Friday. Pictures: Jason Hollister.
Cure scrapes home for back-to-back win in the 2016 Burnie women's wheel
TWO wheels races, two wins, job done.
Amy Cure's hit and run holiday mission finished on the perfect note when she made it back- to-back victories in the 2016 Burnie women's wheel.
Just like her victory in Devonport two nights earlier, Cure and rival Annette Edmondson were involved in a thrilling finish, with the photo required to separate the duo as they crossed the line of the 2000-metre race.
But this time it was Cure who was forced to hold on from the fast-finishing Edmondson after she pinched what looked like a race-winning three-length lead with half a lap to go.
A relieved Cure said she was happy to get full value from her short trip home over the holiday period.
"It's so good to come home and I like to give back to the community who come and watch me, and sign some autographs for the kids - I think it means a lot to them," she said.
"To come and race two races and bring home two wins was awesome and it's amazing to come here with all my family today and win this race in front of them."
Cure and Edmondson were among a small group of backmarkers who were hauled up to the front, courtesy of a big turn from Lauren Perry with two laps to go.
With perfect racing conditions on offer, Cure's hardest decision came down to what gearing to select for her bike.
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"We normally come to Burnie and its lovely weather, but it's blowing a gale here," she said. "It's always hard to know which gear to select here, but I'm happy I made the right decision."
Highlights galore for big crowd at Burnie
Last year’s best crowd for 10 years at the Caterpillar Underground Mining Burnie New Year’s Day Carnival was bettered in brilliant sunshine at West Park Oval today.
Burnie Athletic Club Ricky Aitken said the crowd of more than 4500 added to what was a fantastic atmosphere with some world-class performances on the arena.
“It’s been another huge success building on last year’s best crowd for 10 years and it gives us plenty of confidence going forward into our 130th anniversary carnival next January, which we want to make very special,” Aitken
Crowd favourite and Australia’s fastest teenager Jack Hale, from Hobart, finished a narrow second in the 120m final of The Heritage Burnie Men’s Gift, bringing the large crowd to its feet in a thrilling race.
Former North-West Coast sprinter John Howe won the final from a handicap of 5.25m from Hale (0.5m) and front-marker Alec Eiszele, on 10.75m.
Earlier in the day Hale thrilled the crowd when he broke in his semi-final and was penalised a metre for the re-start of 0.5m behind scratch, but stormed through the field to win and secure his spot in the final.
Triabunna sprinter Lillie Castle backed up her Devonport Gift win from Tuesday night to win the Stubbs Construction. Burnie Women’s Gift from a mark of 7m, while Ulverstone distance runner Doug Hamerlock (55m) was a popular winner in the Zezt 1600m Tasmanian Metric Mile Handicap, reproducing a last lap blitz which also took him to victory in Devonport on Tuesday night.
The field for the “mile” featured a number of Australian champions and Olympic and worlds championship representatives, with Australian 1500m champion Ryan Gregson, from NSW, finishing a close third with a big run from scratch, with Burnie’s Daniel Reeves second.
On the cycling track it was Western Australian rider Sam Welsford, who added the William Adams Burnie Men’s 3000m Wheelrace to his Launceston Wheel win on Monday night, to cap off a successful carnivals series, winning from fellow scratch marker and defending Burnie Wheel champion Nick Yallouris, of NSW.
Crowd favourite and multiple world champion Amy Cure got up from scratch for a narrow win over good friend, fellow scratch rider and Australian women’s team pursuit team-mate Annette Edmonson, of South Australia.
Cure made a flying visit home for just two nights of racing at Devonport’s second night on Wednesday and at Burnie today, riding away with both wheelraces.
Cure, who also figured in a number of other events on today’s cycling programme, will now return to the Australian Institute of Sport’s Centre of Cycling Excellence to prepare for the world track championships in London in March and the Rio Olympic Games in August this year.
There was plenty of action in the woodchopping as well, with the large crowd warming to a number of events held in the main arena, including the William Adams 300mm Teams Relay.
In an exciting finish the backmarkers of Gowrie Park’s Kody Steers (underhand), Westbury axeman Steven Rowe on the standing block and multiple world tree-felling champion Matthew Gurr, of Deloraine, gave the front-markers an enormous start of 179 secs, to win by a single blow from the team of Nathan Rowe (underhand), Mitchell Arnold (standing and Daniel Gurr (tree).
Kody Steers capped off a successful day, also claiming his seventh state title this season by winning the Tasmanian 400mm Standing Block championship from Winkleigh axeman Dale Beams and Victorian Blake Meyer.
Meanwhile, the Henry Munday Memorial 300mm Tree-Felling Handicap again proved a crowd favourite, with backmarker Daniel Gurr, of Deloraine, storming through the field to win from S Helens veteran Mick Tucker, and his father Matthew Gurr.
Burnie axeman and front-marker Michael Maine made good use of handicap in the prestigious North West Mowers Brian Cartledge Memorial Burnie Thousands 300mm Standing Handicap.
Starting from a mark of 5 secs, Maine won the final easily from Victorian Scott Anderson and Launceston’s Matthew Arnold.
RESULTS –
RUNNING
90m maiden handicap: L Grundy,8m, 1; M Cure, 17m, 2; JColgrave, 0.75m, 3.
90m open handicap: M Harvey, 7.75m, 1; J Colgrave, 4.5m, 2; C Cranfield, 6.75m, 3.
NuGen girls 400m: D Stewart, 1; A Potter, 2; R Phillips, 3.
NuGen under 13 mixed 400m: S Grave, 1; J Eldershaw, 2; D Cahill, 3.
NuGen under 17 boys 400m: L James, 1; J James, 2; L Cahill, 3.
Legendairy NuGen Encourage 1600m: G Doherty, 380m, 1; J Eldershaw, 280, 2; W Van Rouyen, 370, 3.
Legendairy NuGen1600m: B St John, 135m, 1; J Hurd, 160m, 2; E St John, 170m, 3.
Backmarkers120m invitation sprint: R Lovell, 3m, 1; C Cranfield, 67.5m, 2; A Robinson, 2.5m, 3.
Women’s 400m handicap: S Loring, 36m, 1; E Bell, 21m, 2; C Stanley, 24m, 3.
Men’s 400m Handicap: D McCrae, 29m, 1; J Gilroy, 18m, 2; D Anastacio, 24m, 3.
Stubbs Construction Burnie Women’s Gift (120m): L Castle, 7m, 1; K Walters, 2; A Phillps, 3.
The Heritage Burnie Men’s Gift (120m): J Howe, 5.25m, 1; J Hale, 0.5m, 2; A Eiszele, 10.75m, 3.
Zezt Tasmanian Metric Mile (1600m): D Hamerlock, 55m, 1; D Reeves, 125m, 2; R Gregson, scr., 3.
CYCLING
Junior 3 scratch race: E Hubbard, 1; M Marker, 2; B Dunn, 3.
Junior 2 scratch race: L McLennan, 1; I Flint, 2; L Spurr, 3
Men’s C grade scratch race: T Watt, 1; L Atkinson, 2; S Stone, 3.
Junior 1 girl’s scratch race: C Brewer, S Bloxholm, 2; E Marker, 3.
Junior 1 boy’s scratch race: R Lawson, 1; M Gittus, 2; R Monroe, 3.
Men’s C grade scratch race: L Atkinson, S Stone, 2; S Thomas, 3.
Men’s B grade scratch race: J Drizners, 1; A Hartley, 2; C Simpson, 3.
Men’s A grade scratch race: S Welshford, 1; J Robinson, 2; D Fritter, 3.
Junior 3 1000m handicap: C Spurr, 1; K Dunn, 200m, 2; Z Wright, 160, 3.
Junior 2 2000m handicap: L McLennan, 20m, 1; S Walmsley, 10m, 2; I Flint, 50m, 3.
Junior 1 2000m handicap: J Kindress, 160m, 1; A Freeman, 160m, 2; R Lawson, 30, 3.
Women’s B grade scratch race: G Payne, 1; R Dykstra, 2; G O’Rourke, 3.
Women’s A grade scratch race: A Edmonson, 1; A Cure, 2; L Perry, 3.
Masters 2000m handicap: S Stone, 70m, 1; A Hartley, scr., 2; M Bailey, 50m, 3.
Women’s 2000m handicap: A Edmonson, scr., 1; A Cure, scr., 2; M Gillon, 140m, 3.
Junior 3 1000m wheelrace: K Dunn, 100m, 1; E Hubbard, 10m, 2; C Spurr, 200m, 3.
Junior 2 2000m wheelrace: L Spurr, 40m, 1; J Webster, 20m, 2; I Flint, 100m, 3.
Women’s Invitation Miss and Out: A Edmonson, 1; A Cure, 2; L Perry, 3.
Men’s 1000m handicap: J Castle, 40m, 1; B Bennett, 80m, 2; C Scott, 45m, 3.
Women’s 1000m handicap: G Paine, 40m, 1; A Cure, scr., 2; M Gillon, 70, 3.
Women’s invitation Keirin: A Cure, 1; A Edmonson, 2; W Spoor, 3.
Men’s invitation Keirin: J Castle, 1; N Yallouris, 2; S Welshford, 3.
Junior 1 wheelrace: R Lawson, 60m, 1; L Plapp, 20m, 2; B Graesser, 120m, 3.
Men’s 2000m handicap: S Welsford, scr., 1; N Yallouris, scr., 2; J Castle, 90m, 3.
Direct Edge Manufacturing Women’s Burnie Wheelrace: A Cure, scr., 1; A Edmonson, scr., 2; M Gillon, 140m, 3.
William Adams Men’s Burnie Wheelrace: C Welsford, scr., 1; N Yallouris, scr., 2; C Scott, 135m, 3.
Men’s A grade scratch race: P Bulling, 1; A Porter, 2; J Robinson, 3.
WOODCHOPPING
Tasmanian 400mm Standing Block Championship: K Steers, 1; D Beams, 2; Blake Meyer, 3..
Henry Munday Memorial 300mm Tree-Felling Handicap: D Gurr, 1; M Tucker, 2; M Gurr, 3.
William Adams Invitation three-man 300mm teams race: K Steers, S Rowe and M Gurr, 1; N Rowe, Mitchell Arnold and D Gurr, 2; Daniel Beams, Dale Beams and B Meyer, 3.
North West Mowers Brian Cartledge Memorial Burnie Thousands 300mm Standing Handicap: M Maine, 1; S Anderson, 2; Matthew Arnold, 3. .
300mm underhand handicap: Mitchell Arnold, 1; K Williams, 2; D Gurr, 3.
250mm standing handicap: M Tucker, 1; K Pinner, 2; J Ryser, 3.
225mm standing handicap: R Sheahan, 1; M Tucker, 2; K Williams, 3.
300mm standing emerging axemen’s handicap: R Sheehan, 1’ Blake Meyer, 2; Matthew Arnold, 3. .
250mm standing veteran’s handicap: K Youd, 1; S Kertesz, 2; D Hunt, 3.