2016's Big Two to the Fore Again

 

August was all about the two services which have dominated the 2016 Besttipping Challenge: Isiris’ Mark Your Card and Middleton Racing Services. For the fourth time this year, Mark Your Card claimed the monthly title, with the ever-consistent Middleton finishing a close second. First Favourite came third ahead of Isiris, Personal Info Saturday Only and Personal Info.

It’s worth pausing for a moment to consider the astonishing record of Mark Your Card since arriving on the centre stage in July 2014. That year MYC collected more than 800 points profit, finishing over 600 points clear of the second placed service in the overall table. Last year saw a successful defence of the title and a staggering 934-point haul; the margin of victory an incredible 800 points! In their first eighteen months of action, MYC notched profits in all but four months, another staggering stat, considering that in a typical month more than 400 selections were made.

MYC has earned a 134.9-point yield so far this year with only one barren month out of eight. Once again, they find themselves in pole-position, although second-placed Middleton may have something to say about that.

As ever, Mark Your Card found plenty of handsomely-priced winners but the 578/1 Ripon double of 33/1 Nameitwhatyoulike and 16/1 Bashiba (13 August) takes pride of place. Other winners that brought joy to subscribers included 25/1 Bedlam (Catterick, 2 August), 16/1 Neuf Des Coers (Catterick again, 12 August), 14/1 Norville (Ayr, 8 August) and 12/1 Molly Jones (Bath, 10 August). It all added up to an August profit of 27.6 points.

Middleton re-emerged after a quiet mid-summer spell with a 62% return on investment and an 18.5-point profit, thanks to two winning bets, Lostock Hall (5/1, Stratford, 24 August) and Hushood (4/1, Chepstow, 29 August). Two of the month’s other three bets earned returns, suggesting that the 2016 Besttipping title is far from over.

As mentioned in previous reviews, Middleton operates in a completely different way to Mark Your Card. Weeks can pass without a bet, but you can be certain that when a selection is offered, they mean business, as this year’s record will testify. Apart from July, each month has yielded a profit and a top two finish in the monthly lists. The total for 2016 is currently 108.7 points, just 26.2 points behind Mark Your Card.

Also back on the groove is First Favourite. Six winning bets out of nine in August produced a 67% strike-rate and a 22.78% ROI. Looking back, First Favourite has returned profits in 22 out of 28 months whilst with Besttipping, and during this time has maintained a strike-rate of more than 55% - a figure unmatched by any other Besttipping service.

Isiris also secured an August profit with York winners Quest For More (7/1, 19 August) and Scottish (5/1, 20 August) adding to an already impressive long-term record at the big festival meetings. Isiris have swapped placed with Those2oppose in the 2016 table, and now occupy third spot, albeit a long way adrift of the pacesetters.

Four months of the year to go and there’s still plenty of Flat action to come, starting with the St Leger next week. Jumping also steps up a gear this month, while All Weather action continues as ever. In other words, something for everyone.