Stewartfield sprinter Greg Kelly was thrilled to finish fourth in the 154th New Year Sprint at Musselburgh Racecourse – after thinking he wouldn’t even get out of the heats.
The 23-year-old East Kilbride Athletic Club member is a two-time champion in the handicap race, run annually on New Year’s Day, but this year he was the back-marker in the event and never expected to qualify for the famous event that heralds in the new year
Despite his handicap of just 0.5, Kelly managed to win his heat and then narrowly missed out on a third place finish with a time of 12.28. Scott Tindle of TLJT took the title and £3,500 prize in a time of 12.03 (handicap 6.5), while Gkontouin Imante (3.0) of Shettleston Harriers was second and Euan Urquhart (9.0) finished third in 12.126.
