Shears race hots up

Northern giant makes big step forward as Shears race hots up

Two-metres tall Far North shearer Rowland Smith took another giant step foward today as he sounded a big warning that he is out to not only qualify for the Golden Shears Open final for the first time, but also win it.

The 25-year-old Smith, a former Junior and Senior champion who had two significant wins in the last 10 days before the 51st Golden Shears started on Thursday, dominated today's Open championship heats which attracted 98 shearers, one of the biggest Open-class entries in the history of the championships, and qualified in first place for the Top 30 quarterfinal shootout being shorn tonight(friday).

Shearing in the last of 17 heats, he posted the fastest time for six sheep of 5min 54..46sec, 15 seconds quicker than the next-fastetst, Southland shearer Darin Forde.

But Smith also yielded nothing in the class of his performance, his board and pen quality points being bettered only by Te Kuiti icon David Fagan, who qualified in second place, Invercargill hope Nathan Stratford, who was next, and Gisborne's Tama Niania, qualifying 21st.

Smith will be aiming to keep the pressure on to make the final for the first time, while Fagan, marking the 30th anniversary of his first appearance at the Shears as a senior finalist in 1981, will be aiming to qualify for the Saturday night final for a 25th time.

If there were any surprises they were in the performance of Sam Welch, of Waikaretu, in qualifying fifth, and Niania's performance in his first Open-class season after winning last year's Senior title.

Favourite John Kirkpatrick, of Napier, recent Coast to Coast two-day third-placegetter Paul Avery, of Toko, near Stratford, all made the cut comfortably, along with Fagan and Hawke's Bay shearer Dion King creating a quintet of qualifiers who between them have won the last 21 Golden Shears Open finals dating back to 1990.

For Day 2 results and full list of qualifiers go to www.shearingsports.nz Breaking News
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