EXCLUSIVE: Gout Gout’s Bid for Stawell Gift Backed by Majority Owner of Notable Melbourne Cup Champion

Rising Australian sprinting star Gout Gout is set to make waves at the upcoming Stawell Gift next month, thanks to backing from Sandy McGregor, the majority owner of the racehorse that clinched victory at the 2015 Melbourne Cup.

Wide World of Sports has learned that McGregor, a local resident, will provide the 17-year-old prodigy with an undisclosed amount to compete in the highly regarded men’s 120-metre event in country Victoria during the Easter long weekend (April 19-21).

McGregor’s financial commitment to Gout underscores the burgeoning commercial appeal of the Ipswich-born athlete, especially following Adidas’s investment of over $6 million spread across eight years in preparation for the Brisbane 2032 Olympics, according to The Age.

Additionally, three other elite Australian sprinters — Lachlan Kennedy, Josh Azzopardi, and Jack Hale — are confirmed to compete in the 143rd edition of the Stawell Gift, which event organisers will announce shortly.

As per tradition, the champions of both the men’s and women’s 120m races will pocket $40,000 in prizemoney each.

Kennedy (10.03 seconds), Azzopardi (10.09), and Hale (10.12) all boast quicker 100m personal bests than Gout’s 10.17.

However, Gout holds the title of the fastest Australian male in history for the 200m, having surpassed Peter Norman’s 20.06 set during the 1968 Mexico City Olympics, recording a time of 20.04 in Brisbane last December.

In the long history of the Stawell Gift, only two athletes have ever won the 120m race from scratch, which involves a 10-metre handicap.

If Gout competes from scratch and secures victory on the Central Park grass, it will mark another monumental achievement in the career of a sprinter often likened to the legendary Usain Bolt.

“He’s truly exciting, isn’t he?” McGregor remarked to Wide World of Sports.

“He’s guaranteed to draw in a larger crowd. Funding Gout is an investment in the Stawell Gift. As a local, or former local, it’s crucial to have someone like this to enhance the atmosphere. It’s beneficial for the community and the event,” McGregor added.

McGregor, who serves as the managing director of prominent Australian logistics firm QLS Group, has long been a supporter of local athletics, horse racing, AFL, and cricket.

He recently invested $500,000 to refurbish the Marnoo Cricket Club just north of Stawell.

“It’s looking like Lord’s,” McGregor chuckled.

Last year, like so many Australians, he became captivated by Gout’s sprinting feats, prompting him to act decisively.

“I believed he would be a fantastic asset for the Stawell Gift,” McGregor said.

“So, we initiated the process of acquiring him. His manager James Templeton returned my call, and I presented an offer he couldn’t turn down.”

Following the announcement in mid-February that Gout would be participating in the Stawell Gift, ticket sales have surged.

“Before we made the announcement about Gout, ticket sales were quite sluggish; however, since then, they’ve skyrocketed,” remarked Murray Emerson, chairman of Stawell Gift Event Management, to Wide World of Sports.

“Tickets are not sold out yet. We hope to continue bringing in more people, but there may come a time when, due to regulations, we will be unable to exceed the venue capacity.”

At just 16, Gout clocked 20.04 seconds in December, surpassing Usain Bolt’s fastest time recorded at the same age, which was 20.13.

Gout is anticipated to make his senior Australian debut at the world championships in Tokyo this September, where he aims to challenge Olympic and world champion Noah Lyles for the title.

“If he lives up to the expectations surrounding him,” Emerson suggested, “he could become one of the greatest ever.”