Adelaide schoolteacher John Evans has taken full advantage of a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to race Gout Gout and a good handicap to win the 143rd edition of the Stawell Gift.
Evans was understandably stressed when he first learned he had drawn schoolboy superstar Gout in the last of six semi-finals at Central Park on Easter Monday.
But the 28-year-old held his nerve and claimed the win off a mark of 9.75m in 12.10 seconds, with Gout (1m) storming home for second in 12.34.
Little more than an hour later, Evans backed up to win the final in a flying time of 11.94, ahead of Jasper Thomas and Mitchell O'Neill, emulating the feat of his long-time coach Paul Young, who saluted in the storied 120m handicap event back in 1985.
"I've been dreaming about this for a very long time, since the beginning of the year," Evans said.
"Youngy and I came up with a plan to put us in the position, and then a few injuries and a few niggles really hampered us.
"But my team and my squad really got us up for this."
The first thing Evans did when he crossed the finish line in the semi was turn left to see where Gout was.
"One or two more steps and he would have had me," Evans said.
"It's pretty exciting though, racing against Gout Gout.
"I just run the pros and I'm not running against the likes of Gout Gout and Lachie Kennedy again.
"It's a fantastic opportunity and I get to tell my kids I did that - and I beat him."
The presence of Australian 200m record-holder Gout and his friendly rival Kennedy was largely responsible for drawing a crowd of 7000 to Central Park on Monday, the biggest in many years.
The conditions did the two backmarkers no favours, with the semi-finals run into headwinds and the heaviest rain of the day.
Kennedy (12.24 off 0.25m) was just pipped for first place in the opening semi by 17-year-old Melbourne schoolboy Dash Muir (12.18).
"I just tightened up a little bit, the rain came in and it got a bit cold," said Kennedy, who shot to international prominence when he won silver in the 60m at the world indoor championships in China last month.
"I knew I pretty much had to run a perfect race to get him, and he killed it out there."
Gout was equally gracious after finishing second to Evans in his semi.
"Obviously running in the rain is a bit harder, so you've just got to adjust and keep running," he said.
"I thought I was coming pretty hard and with 20 (metres) left he was ahead of me.
"I tried my hardest and he got me at the end, so it is what it is."
Paris Olympics 100m semi-finalist Bree Rizzo claimed a spectacular win off scratch in the women's Gift in a record time of 13.52.
Chiara Santiglia (13.55 off 7.75m) and Jemma Stapleton (13.67 off 11m) filled the minor placings.
Rizzo's husband Matt Rizzo won the men's Gift in 2017, and the pair first met at Central Park two years later.
"Honestly, coming to the Stawell Gift I can't say I'm ever super confident," said 29-year-old Rizzo.
"It is a race that is so unpredictable. I knew that I had to bring my best, and that I did.
"To run 13.52 is massive for me."
