Reigning champ back in Shears reckoning

MEDIA RELEASE

March 3, 2011. 8.15pm

Reigning champ back in Shears reckoning

The TAB has moved quickly to tighten the odds on a back-to-back Golden Shears open woolhandling win by former World champion Joanne Kumeroa after she returned to New Zealand competition with a win in the Pre-Shears Championship in Masterton on Wednesday.

Kumeroa, who last year won the Golden Shears Open for a record fourth time, had worked mainly in Australia and missed most of the New Zealand season, returning for the blow-out at Massey University's Riverside Farm on the eve of the start of the 51st Golden Shears, which started today (Thursday) and end on Saturday.

While maintaining early form competitors Joel Henare and Keryn Herbert as the first two favourites, although neither has won a Golden Shears title, Kumeroa was today paying $4, coming under the eased odds of 2008 World champion Sheree Alabaster, who won two titles last weekend and finished second to Kumeroa on Wednesday.

Henare, a teenager from Gisborne and out to become the first male winner of the title since 2000, was quoted today at $2.75, Herbert, from Te Awamutu, at $3.50, and Alabaster at $8.

It is the first time woolhandling in New Zealand has been subnject to betting with the TAB, which is also offering options on three other events at the Golden Shears - the glamour Open shearing championship, the PGG Wrightson National Series final, and the annual transtasman shearing test, all packed into the busy Saturday night finale.

Betting on the Open shearing and woolhandling events will be suspended during the heats on Friday.

ENDS

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