In memory of his late father and former club president Ray Scott, son Karl, 22, ran the race of his life to win the Concongella Vineyard Handicap over 6.5 kilometres on Sunday.
A cloud hung over the corresponding race last year when it was run the day after Ray’s sudden death and grey skies greeted club runners and those representing our sister club, the Stawell and Ararat Cross Country Club, when they lined up for the start at Garry Rice’s picturesque vineyard venue.
With brother Liam looking on, Karl made a conscious decision “about five seconds from the start” to go out hard and give the backmarkers something to chase.
Indeed, young Scotty began like a scalded cat, leaving our veteran speedster Col Barnett somewhat “psyched” by the task of having to overhaul the tearaway.
Col has recorded fastest time in four of the five races staged by the club so far this season but Karl was a mere one second slower on Sunday. “And that was only because I had to stop and tie my shoelaces,” he said.
Karl reckons his winning time of 24 minutes and 16 seconds was “the fastest I’ve ever run in my life” and certainly a personal best for the distance.
Splitting Karl and Col on corrected time was Horsham runner Rick Price who had a jolly good shot of emulating wife Selina’s win on debut with the club only the week before.
Rick worked hard on the unfamiliar turf to fail by just four seconds to make it a family double but he looks the man to beat in the eight kilometre L.W. Kent Memorial Handicap at Airport Road, Stawell, this coming Sunday.
There was some consolation for Col when his daughter, Elly, easily won the junior division of the vineyards race from Tobias Blair, who looked fresh having not played football the day before, and the ever-consistent Raine Mackley.
By Keith Lofthouse