Australian sprint superstars Gout Gout and Lachie Kennedy have safely progressed to the semi-finals of the Stawell Gift after blistering runs on Saturday. Gout started the famous 120m race with a 1m handicap, but blitzed the field to win his heat in comfortable fashion at Central Park in the north-west of Victoria. WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE: Gout blitzes the field. Know the news with the 7NEWS app: Download today The 17-year-old showed his trademark explosiveness to quickly chase down his rivals and win in a time of 12.31. The crowd went absolutely wild at the sight of the Gout in full stride. “It feels great. First time on this track. Can’t wait for the semis and hopefully the finals,” he told Seven after the race. Gout Gout blitzes the field in his Stawell Gift heat. Credit: Channel 7 Kennedy, who jumped from 0.25m, easily won his heat in similar style. He clocked a 12.23 to be third quickest among all the qualifiers, while Gout wasn’t in the top 10. “Looked like he was smiling for the last 10 or 15 metres,” the commentator said of Kennedy. “Looked like he really, really enjoyed it. He was able to shut the motor off with 15 metres to go.” Kennedy was all smiles after the heat. “I had heaps of fun, it’s a little bit daunting when they start to so much in front of you ... the atmosphere, the crowd here, it’s incredible,” he told Seven. The two superstars will return to the iconic track on Monday for the semi-finals before the final on the same day. John Evans, who started from 9.75m, was the quickest qualifier with a 12.13. Defending champion Jack Lacey also won his heat to progress. More to come ...