Champions confirmed as favourites at the TAB

Reigning Golden Shears champions Rowland Smith and Joel Henare have predictably opened as hot favourites to regain their titles at the 60th annual shearing and woolhandling championships in Masterton.

The TAB opened books today on the first of four days of the premier shearing and woolhandling championships, with Hawke’s Bay shearer  Smith soon quoted as possibly the hottest-ever Golden Shears TAB favourite, at just $1.16 to win the Open shearing final on Saturday night.

Equal second favourites Aaron Haynes, David Buick, John Kirkpatrick and Nathan Stratford were each quoted at $8.

Henare, who announced his retirement last year but was soon back in action, was quoted at $1.35 to win his eighth consecutive Golden Shears Open woolhandling title, also on Saturday night.  Second favourites and 2019 World champions Sheree Alabaster and Pagan Karauria were each quoted at $5

Eight-times New Zealand Shears champion and Taihape school teacher Alabaster is striving to win her first Golden Shears title, after reaching the four-handler final seven times since 2005 and being runner-up on four occasions.

The TAB is also offering favourite-versus-the field options on both events, and also Friday night’s transtasman woolhandling test and the shearing match between New Zealand and Australia on Saturday night.

Odds are at  https://www.tab.co.nz/sport/29/shearing/matches