Shears: Fagan a fair bet

The TAB has made King Country shearer David Fagan a warm favourite to represent New Zealand in a 10th World Championships, spanning 26 years.

The bookies have Fagan at $1.60 to finish either first or second in a selection series final at the Southern Shears in Gore on Saturday.

If he's successful, he'll head to the championships at the Golden Shears in Masterton at the age of 50 and aiming to win his 13th and 14th World titles, easily the best record in the history of the Championships which were first held in England in 1977.

Having made his championships debut in 1986, when they were run as a side-attraction to the America's Cup yachting regatta, he has been the individual champion five times, most recently in Edinburgh nine years ago, and at the last championships in Wales in 2010 he won his seventh teams title.

He was made favourite after heading 12 selection final qualifiers on points from seven earlier rounds. Most favoured to be his teammate are pre-series favourite John Kirkpatrick, of Napier, youngest finalist, reigning New Zealand Open champion and Hawke's Bay-based Northlander Rowland Smith, and the big hope from the south, Invercargill's Nathan Stratford.

Defending World individual champion Cam Ferguson, of Waipawa, is tentatively quoted at $10.

ENDS