TAB Slashes Woolhandling Odds After Golden Shears Heats

MEDIA RELEASE

On behalf of Shearing Sports New Zealand

March 1, 2013

TAB Slashes Woolhandling Odds After Golden Shears Heats

The TAB today wasted no time slashing the odds on woolhandling guru Huia Whyte-Puna to win her second Golden Shears Open title after she was top qualifier from the heats to tomorrow’s quarterfinals in Masterton.

Now living back in Hawke’s Bay, where she grew up, Whyte-Puna had been paying $40 to win, despite reaching the final last year and finishing fourth, and winning in 2007, when she was based in Christchurch.

Among a field of 45 competitors starting today,she was always going to find it tough with a range of top hopes in contention, so when when she headed the qualifiers, bookmaker Kieran McAnulty responded in dropping the price to $4.50, the third-favourite. There had already been money for her beforehand, he said.

Most of the top hopes qualified in the top 16 for tomorrow morning’s quarterfinals, targeting places in the final tomorrow night.

Among them are 2008 World Champion Sheree Alabaster, of Taihape, who qualified in second place, TAB favourites Joel Henare(fifth), of Gisborne, and Keryn Herbert(ninth), of Te Kuiti, and 2008 winner Veronica (Ronnie) Goss(14th), of Kimbolton, and defending champion and six-times winner and Australia-based Joanne Kumeroa(10th), of Whanganui, battling on despite a debilitating battle against cancer..

Among those to missed the cut were three-times winner Tina Rimene, of Masterton.

Qualifiers for the quarterfinals are: Huia Whyte-Puna (Napier), Sheree Alabaster (Taihape), Pagan Rimene (Masterton), Rocky Hape-Taite (Dannevirke), Joel Henare (Gisborne), Rose Puha (Kimbolton), Mii Nooroa (Masterton), Kodi Hawkins (Martinborough), Keryn Herbert (Te Kuiti), Joanne Kumeroa (Hamilton, Vic/Whanganui), Ratapu Moore (Kaitangata/Kaiwaka), Leisha Atkinson (Eketahuna), Sharni Graham (Masterton), Veronica (Ronnie) Goss (Kimbolton), Emaraina Braddick (Eketahuna), Kayla Garner (Australia).

ENDS

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