James Bowen sacks his team that helped win last seasons Punter of the Year competition

The winning ticket that won James Bowen and his team mates the Sportz Bar Punter of the Year title last season.

Bowen is facing big odds to defend the Sportz Bar Punter of the Year title at the Whanganui spring race meeting after sacking three of his team mates from last season's victorious run.

Bowen, along with GBBH team mates Leighton and Aaron Toy and Brian Nicholson, claimed the title in the final race at Auckland after the Wanganui Jockey Club's spring meeting was cancelled because of unsafe track conditions following heavy rain.

Under the rules of the competition, entrants must wager on every race at the local meeting, however, last year the bars and sponsor's rooms remained open at Wanganui to allow punting to continue on the Auckland fixture.

Bowen and his mates were sitting in fourth leading into the final event and debating whether to pocket around $150 each for the day, or go big on one horse - they agreed on No 10 and duly placed $400 on it's nose with the remaining dollars on another runner as a potential saver.

"Before the last we were fourth and feeling pretty happy about that," Bowen said.

"We debated going big or playing it safe, but by the time I got back from the toilet we were going big so we agreed on No 10 (Cool Cassie). As the race unfolded we were getting pretty excited because it was sharing the pace and then kicked away in the straight. We were cheering pretty loudly and getting a bit carried away - in any other setting it was probably a bit embarrassing really."

Heading up to the collect window thinkinbg they were in contention to win the punting competition, their confidence was dented slightly.

"It paid $11.20 and we were fairly confident until Daryl (Menzies) from the Sportz Bar collected $3000 and said 'think I might have you guys'.

"But when we got to the window and the women said she would have to get security in for our collect, we knew we had it. We collected nearly $4500 and with the $2000 for winning the competition we were up a cool $6500."

Bowen said he and three new players were keen to have another crack this year and would be calling their team The Defending Champs.

"I've sacked the three from last year through a lack of commitment. While we won heaps last year, it's all about the wee trophy you get and the bragging rights, the money is incidental," Bowen said.

Registrations for this year's Sportz Bar Punter of the Year must be in by Friday, September 7, the day before the spring meeting.