ESSENDON’S Tamara Hamond said the memory of being so close to victory a year earlier helped inspire her to win the Maryborough Highland Society Women’s Necklace (120m) on New Year’s Day.Racing off the backmark of 3.75m, Hamond overcame conceding almost 10m to limit in the dash down the centre of Princes Park.“To be in the red (singlet) was a highlight, and to win the final is a wonderful feeling.”Hamond has competed in athletics for more than 15 years and she clearly enjoyed her win at Maryborough.“This is my first win at Maryborough,” Hamond said shortly after being presented with the necklace.“I went close to winning last year,” she said of third placing.“That performance gave me a lot of confidence going into today’s heat and then final.”A successful 120m campaign began by winning heat three ahead of experienced campaigner Narelle Lehmann.In the final, Hamond raced to the line in 14.71 seconds to beat Samantha Sammut (13.5m) in 14.73 and Lehmann (8.50m) who achieved a time of 14.83.“This is such a great day,” the women’s sprint champion said.The Steve Gaffney-trained sprinter later went on to reach the open 200m final.Queensland’s Melissa Howard won the Maryborough Catlemaine District Football Netball League-backed women’s 70m at Saturday’s carnival.After being runner-up in the 120m, Sammut was second in the Primes Furniture women’s 400m won by Megan Letton from South Australia.Hamond is one of the backmarkers for today’s women’s sprints at the Daylesford Gift meeting at Cricket Willow in Shepherds Flat.