World and Golden Shears champion Joel Henare confirmed his favouritism for a fourth national open woolhandling title by heading the qualifiers on the opening day of the three-day New Zealand Shearing Championships in Te Kuiti today.
The TAB confirmed him as a hot-favourite at $1.18, after his World and Golden Shears open triumphs in the last seven weeks, but it's shaping as possibly the Dunedin-based Gisborne champion's toughest final in a season in which he won his second World individual title in Invercargill in February and his fifth Golden Shears Open title earlier this month.
On Saturday night he will be up against six-times winner Sheree Alabaster, of Taihape, who was second-to-top qualifier and is paying $3.50 to win, and home-town hope and 2013 winner Hanatia Tipene, who was third to top qualifier and is paying $11.
The other two finalists are Open finals rookie Eramiha, of Dannevirke, and Australia-based Jo Tarrant.
Among those eliminated in the semi-finals was Gisborne's Maryanne Baty, who won the World teams title with Henare last month.
