Set in rural New Zealand in 1949, Wes Pennington and his partner Cyril Kidman are out to ride a great horse-racing scam for as long as they can. They are inveterate gamblers who have joined forces to bilk local bookies by taking advantage of delayed broadcasts of horse races. To stop being caught the duo don't stay in each town for too long, but when they arrive in Tainuia Junction, fate catches up with them. Through a series of unforeseen circumstances, Cyril and Wes get involved in uncovering a bootlegging ring, arson, murder, and other dastardly deeds. The townspeople are in a class of their own, including the Te Whakinga Kid, a Maori man who believes himself to be a Mexican bandito, who becomes a kind of protector for the put-upon, gambling duo.

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