33/1 winner for Dunwoody, but PJA National Hunt snatch last minute victory

There was a battle royal for top spot in this month’s Besttipping challenge. Victory, by the narrowest of margins went to PJA National Hunt with Richard Dunwoody denied by just a tenth of a point.  Personal Info also performed strongly, finishing third with another handsome yield.

            PJA National Hunt’s success was secured by the Uttoxeter victory of 13/2 advice Long Wave on the penultimate day of the latest challenge. That win, which followed last week victories by 15/2 Lord Lescribaa (21 July, Newton Abbot), 5/1 Executive’s Hall (22 July, Cartmel) and 10/1 Advisor (Worcester, 24 July) tipped the balance in favour of PJA’s jumping-only service. Yet a few days earlier, Richard Dunwoody held what looked like an unassailable advantage courtesy of 33/1 Newbury scorer, Miracle Of Medinah (19 July).

            Although it wasn’t until the final week of the race that PJA National Hunt asserted control, they performed well throughout the period under review with winners such as Adrenalin Flight (8/1, Worcester, 3 July) and Sonofagun (6/1, Southwell, 4 July).  

            Not surprisingly, the victory of Miracle Of Medinah proved to be the highlight for Dunwoody. The Mark Usher-trained juvenile’s success in the Rose Bowl Stakes was one of three wins from just nine selections this month – a further four finished either second or third.

            Seven wins and four second places from just 16 selections marked another strong showing by Personal Info. Winners were returned at odds of 7/2, 2/1, 13/8, 5/4, evens, 8/13 an 6/4, while profits were also earned on runners-up posting odds of 6/1, 5/1 and 11/2. It all resulted in a pleasing 15.5 point gain.

            GorrieUK – a service that always seems to flourish at the big festival meetings – was again to the fore during Newmarket’s July Festival with Havana Cooler (6/1, 13 July) and Qawaasem (4/1, 11 July) both ensuring a handsome profit during the three days action on the July course. Other winners during this profitable month included Circuitous (7/2, Carlisle, 6 July) and Ikhtisas (7/2, Doncaster, 25 July).

             Those2oppose recorded two wins at Sandown on 6 July – Tickled Pink (9/2) and Al Kazeem (5/2) – and also secured profits from a number of shrewd each-way advices that finished in the money.

             Twenty-one of Steve Jones’ CD Probets 27 bets finished in the first three this time. Seven of these found their way into the winners’ enclosure at odds ranging from 11/10 to 9/2.

             There was a similarly high degree of consistency in Jones’ other service – CD Daily Bargain. Fifteen out of 27 bets finished in the first three with winners at 11/2 and 8/1. Consistency was also the keyword for Isiris this month. Eighteen selections produced 5 winners, but a further nine tips ended up finishing second or third.

             These two services, Daily Bargain and Isiris, retain their positions at the head of the 2013 table with PJA National Hunt moving into third spot ahead of Those2oppose.

Glorious Goodwood and Galway’s seven-day marathon kick off another busy month which also includes York’s Ebor Meeting and much else besides.