A bright Besttipping start to 2018

2018-01-31

It was a case of cheers all-round as 2018 got of to a positive start. All the services currently active in the Besttipping Challenge posted January profits with three-time champions Mark Your Card setting the pace with a mighty 46.5-point yield.

Steve Jones’ Daily Bargain, the service that ended Mark Your Card’s domination last year, finished the opening month with an 11-point yield. Jones’ second service, Probets, came third on 6.1 points just ahead of Isiris on 6 points.

Personal Info, Personal Info Saturday-Only and First Favourite also registered January gains.

Mark Your Card’s January figures were the best for the opening month of the year since 2015, when the same team posted a 172-point yield, setting them on the way to a record-breaking annual gain of 934 points.

That peerless year was studded with big-priced Mark Your Card winners, and 2018 has started in similar fashion. The roll of honour was headed by two winning 33/1 advices, Mirsaale (Kelso, 14 January) and Brotherly Company (Southwell, 18 January). Other eye-catchers included: Happy Escape (14/1, Kempton, 5 January), Yorgonnahearmeroar (14/1, Hereford, 16 January), Ballyheigue Bay (Plumpton, 29 January), Novabridge (12/1, Newcastle, 12 January) and Woolstone One (11/1, Doncaster, 9 January).

Last year’s winner, Daily Bargain, began 2018 steadily; four winners produced an 11-point profit – marginally down on last year’s average monthly gain – but a fine start to the year, nonetheless. A tenth month of profit since the start of 2017 was secured thanks to winners of the calibre of 16/1 advice Joyful Star (Newcastle, 19 January) and 10/1 advice (25/1 SP) Ambitious Boy (Wolverhampton, 29 January).

Probets has spent much of its time with Besttipping living in the shadow of stable companion Daily Bargain. However, with four straight years of profit, this service certainly delivers the goods. January’s figures were typical:

9 winners out of 31 selections (29% strike-rate);

64% of selections finishing in the first three;

Average SP of 100/30.

The best priced of the nine winners were Island Brave (6/1 advice, Wolverhampton, 22 January), Foolaad (5/1 advice, Southwell, 23 January) and Dalness Express (9/2 advice, Kempton, 24 January).

Isiris finished 2017 on a high, posting solid profits in October, November and December. Although only entering the fray once in January, Isiris were able to secure a fourth straight month of profit curtesy of 18 January Meydan winner Winter Lightning (4/1 advice).

Seven winners and a profit from an each-way selection gave Personal Info a 1.4-point January yield – a fourth month of profit from the last five. Best priced of the seven successes was 7/2 advice King of Realms, successful at Doncaster on 26 January.

Personal Info’s Saturday-Only service made it six winning months out of seven since last July with 6/4 advice Mr Whipped (Warwick, 13 January) leading the way. The ‘dutching’ system has been used to good effect recently, helping to secure five winners from the last six Saturday-Only race bets.

First Favourite, who in 2015 went through the whole year without posting a loss, began 2018 with a January profit thanks to the victory of 11/10 advice Greyed A at Fontwell on 8 January.