Ross targets third Gift

EVERGREEN sprinter Joshua Ross insists age is a number as he chases Stawell Gift history at Central Park.

The 2003 and 2005 Gift champion is aiming to become the first man to win the fabled 120m handicap three times.

And were the 38-year-old to salute on Monday and pocket the $40,000 first prize, he would become the oldest winner of an event first contested way back in 1878.

“I know a lot of people think that it’s important that I’m 38 now; I get it all the time and it does frustrate me,” Ross said.

“That really has nothing to do with me; it’s just their own limited thinking.

“They think you get to a certain level or a certain age in sport and you have to decline or move on to something else in your life.

“But I’ve got unfinished business.”

After being run out in the heats in 2018, Ross was handed a 2m mark this year by the handicappers, with defending champ Jacob Despard the backmarker at 0.75m.

The early favourite is Melbourne’s Jason Bailey, who will start off 10m.

Bailey is at $2.75 ahead of Dhruv Rodrigues-Chico ($4.50) and Ross ($8).

“I’ve never really looked at who’s going to be running in my heat or who’s off what mark,” said the 2004 and 2012 Olympic 4x100m relay finalist.

“I just feel like a caged beast and I want to be set loose.”

Despite electing to skip the national titles to focus on the Gift, Ross has not given up hope of forcing his way into the Australian 4x100m relay squad for October’s world championships and the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

“I’ll just keep going,” he said.