Defending champ Mutch out as Smith sets sights

Defending champ Mutch out as Smith sets sights on third Goldies Open title

Reigning Golden Shears Open champion Gavin Mutch is out of the race to defend his title after being a shock elimination in the Top 30 quarterfinals shootout in Masterton tonight.

Mutch dominated the heats earlier in the day and was more than two-and-a-half points better than the next best of the 67 who started the hunt for shearing’s most vaunted prize.

But it was a different story tonight as he finished in 14th place, missing qualifying by two places, although just 0.135pts from keeping his hopes alive.

Mutch had been the TAB’s second favourite to win, albeit a $6 prospect behind hot favourite Rowland Smith who bounced back from a below-par 18th in the heats to head the qualifiers going into the last day of the 56th Golden Shears.

The Shears’ home region has been given its best chances since the Shears were first held, with Pongaroa farmer and shearer David Buick qualifying in second-place for the semi-final, after the disappointment of a Friday-night elimination last year.

Dannevirke shearers Paerata Abraham and Adam Brausch, both now working in Masterton, were 6th and 7th qualifiers.

Casey Bailey, a Riverton shearer who has been based in Masterton, was a surprise fifth qualifier, although he was close to qualifying for the semi-finals in his maiden Open-class season last year, and another to make the graduation was Gisborne shearer Tama Niania, the 2010 Senior champion who tonight was the last of the 12 qualifiers.

Open Quarterfinals (qualifiers for semi-final on Saturday afternoon): Rowland Smith (Hastings), David Buick (Pongaroa), Dion King (Alfredton and Hastings), Aaron Haynes (Feilding), Casey Bailey (Riverton), Paerata Abraham (Masterton and Dannevrke), Adam Brausch (Masterton and Dannevirke), Nathan Stratford (Invercargill), Troy Pyper (Invecargill), Sam Welch (Waikaretu), John Kirkpatrick (Napier), Tama Niania (Gisborne).

ENDS

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