Betfair Official Blog

Find me a 100 winner - Matthew Millar

Click here to view market

Australian trading at [110.0] to win - can he do it?

Watching the scores come in from New Zealand through the early hours of Sunday morning, my emotions were a strange mixture of proud vindication and utter frustration. Just a week after getting a fair run for my money after tipping Richard Finch at odds of [230.0] to win the Mastercard Masters, Hull's finest duly went on to win his maiden professional event in the New Zealand Open - albeit having started at a fifth of those odds. Suffice to say the price reduction put me off, though at least this tough weekly feat looks a little more attainable now.

Again, I'm opting for this week's Australasian event and another player seeking his first win. Matthew Millar was one of the players discarded from my shortlist for this column last week in New Zealand, and as he played so well to finish fourth there, three-figure odds again look fair value. Millar was making his first start for five weeks, so could have been forgiven for suffering competition-rust. A look through his scorecard seems to confirm this, with each round better than the last and an impressive nine-under total for the weekend. Were it not for several dropped shots on Thursday's opening nine holes, Millar may have won the event.

There could be more improvement to come. Though he just missed out on his Tour card last year in 127th place, its worth reflecting that all of Millar's best form has come in Australasia. Last year he finished a fair 14th on this course, as well as making the top-10 at Huntingdale. In a previous year he was right in the thick of contention on the final day of an Australian Open. This week's field is tougher than New Zealand, but the 31yo from Canberra represents at least a sporting bet to upset the odds.