The TAB has made King Country shearer David Fagan a warm favourite to represent New Zealand in a 10th world championships, spanning 26 years.
The bookies have Fagan at $1.60 to finish either first or second in a selection series final at the Southern Shears in Gore tomorrow.
If he's successful, he'll head to the championships at the Golden Shears in Masterton at the age of 50 aiming to win his 13th and 14th world titles, easily the best record in the history of the global event which was first held in England in 1977.
Having made his world championships debut in 1986, when they were run as a side-attraction to the America's Cup yachting regatta, Fagan has been the individual champion five times, most recently in Edinburgh nine years ago, and at the last championships in Wales in 2010 he won his seventh teams title.
He was made favourite by the TAB after heading 12 selection final qualifiers on points from seven earlier rounds.