060102 Evening News

HOLLYWOOD actor Dougray Scott will be chieftain for the day at this Sunday’s Markinch Highland Games (12.30pm).

And handicapper Adam Crawford from Glenrothes has received a big entry for the athletic events at the town’s John Dixon Park.

There will be ten heats in the Lomond Homes 90 metres handicap which carries a first prize of £200. Backmarker off six metres in heat three is Scottish internationalist Ian Horsburgh from the City of Edinburgh Club.

Current Scottish Games Association Athlete of the Year, Glyn Davis, from Hawick, who did the 90m and 200m double at Blackford Games last week, goes off a mark of seven-and-a-half metres in heat seven. Expect another good showing from Alloa Athletic’s assistant manager Graeme Armstrong, who was third at Blackford. He runs from the 13-metre mark in heat eight.

Another double winner at Blackford was Colin Welsh from Kelso. The Borderer is fancied to follow up at the Fife track when he contests the 400m and 800m handicaps.

Borders youngsters dominate the six heats of the youths 90m handicap, with Chirnside pair Andrew Bridgewater, five metres, and Paul Forbes, six metres, the backmarkers along with David Fiddas (Hawick), who starts from the five-and-a-half metre mark.

Another Hawick youngster, Sean Desport, is one of the best prospects in middle-distance running on the circuit. He is declared to contest the youth 800m and 1600m handicaps off starts of 20m and 25m respectively.

In cycling, the Scottish 8000m championship will see Evan Oliphant, from Wick, start favourite to retain the title he won 12 months ago. Oliphant had a clean sweep at Blackford, winning all four cycle events.

All the country’s strong men will be in action with the British 28lb weight for distance title up for grabs.