FAMILY and friends may have been Samantha Hargreaves’ entry back into racing, but the 2014 Warrnambool women’s gift winner soon proved she belonged in her own right.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
She will return to the scene of her triumph on Saturday as she looks to recapture the form that saw her take out the main women’s event at Warrnambool last November.
Hargreaves, whose husband Matthew is part of the Hargreaves trio that has been in pro-running for years, said she liked to compete at any distance between 70 and 400 metres.
“I’m probably more suited for the 300 and 400, which is why winning Warrnambool last year was a bit of a shock to me,” she said.
“My stride is best suited over three or four hundred, so that was what made it all the more special to win.”
The 30-year-old can still clearly recall the feelings from her win – even if details like her handicap now elude her.
“It was pretty nerve-wracking, but everything just aligned on that day,” she said.
“Everything felt good, I felt pretty strong and when on the start line I was just looking down the end of the track.
“One of my friends had been sending me inspirational text messages and when I was there I was just thinking about them.”
Hargreaves knew she was in for a good run as soon as she jumped out from the start line.
She edged out her cousin Kirsty Stevens in the final, relegating her relative to runner-up.
In Saturday’s gift, Hargreaves will compete in the 70, 100 and 300 metre events, and follow up with the same races in Sunday’s Terang Gift.
Her preparation for the 2015 double-header has not gone as smoothly as she would have hoped, but Hargreaves said she felt good going in.
“This winter season hasn’t been the greatest for me in the sense I partially tore my quad a few weeks ago and only had a few weeks off,” she said.
“I’m not in as great shape as I was last year … (but) I’m hoping to get into the finals and hopefully place in the finals.”
Hargreaves will compete alongside strong runners in the women’s gift, including 2014 Stawell Gift winner Holly Dobbyn, young star Stephanie Richards and 2014 Stawell Gift place-getter Kate Jones.
The men’s gift will be highlighted by the likes of 2012 Stawell Gift winner Matt Wiltshire, 2010 Stawell Gift runner-up Dale Woodhams, two-time finalist Joshua Tiu and Craig Mair, who won the Albury Wodonga and Ballarat gifts last season.
It was pretty nerve-wracking but everything just aligned on that day.
- Samantha Hargreaves