Jackson hot favourite for Oscar: betting agency

Australian betting agency Centrebet has made New Zealand film director Peter Jackson an almost unbackable favourite to be named best director at the Oscars.

Jackson won the Directors Guild Of America (DGA) award on Sunday for The Return Of The King, the third and final film based on J R R Tolkien's fantasy classic The Lord Of The Rings.

Jackson was already the betting favourite to win the Best Director Oscar, but given 50 of the 56 winners of the DGA award have gone on to Oscar glory Jackson has been wound in to miniscule odds.

Centrebet was now offering a $A1.05 return on Jackson being named best director at the February 29 ceremony, Sports Betting Manager, Gerard Daffy said in a statement.

"DGA recipient Rob Marshall (Chicago) missed out on the star prize 12 months ago, but history shows that the odds are firmly stacked in favour of Jackson and his masterpiece," Mr Daffy said.

The same agency has Auckland teenager Keisha Castle-Hughes at $A15 to win the best actress Oscar for her work on Whale Rider.

- NZPA

Centrebet