The TAB stands to lose several thousand dollars if Ngati Porou East Coast beats Wanganui in Saturday's Meads Cup rugby final.
One punter placed $100 on East Coast to win the title before the season even started - this after East Coast finished bottom of last season's competition.
TAB Heartland bookie Kieran McAnulty said yesterday: "We have received a number of bets from between $50 and $100 on East Coast. The money is on."
McAnulty's problem is that the TAB placed East Coast at odds of 100-1 before the competition started and that's when a number of the bets were made, including the $100 one. Now that punter stands to win $10,000.
"East Coast dropped from 100-1 when they shocked Mid Canterbury in the very first game and that was a bad result for us," said McAnulty. "It's a fairytale for them but a nightmare for us."
Steelform Wanganui were yesterday paying $1.25 to win the match, rather more than McAnulty said he was happy with.
"We would like to keep them shorter but our liability on East Coast is so large."
The TAB has Wanganui a nine-point favourite at this stage. East Coast are at $3.50 to win the title.
The odds are $4 on the first scoring play being a Wanganui try, something the side has managed in the first five minutes of just about every match this season.
Meanwhile, odds on New Zealand winning the World Cup have dropped from $1.50 to $1.70 since Dan Carter's injury. Australia and South Africa are now joint second favourites at $7, England is $10 and Ireland - the big dropper - is at $14, after starting at 40-1. New Zealand has been given a 28.5 point start against Argentina.