Consistent Probets enjoy May in the spotlight
2019-05-31
Probets, who have lingered for so long in the shadow of stablemate Daily Bargain, emerged into the light with an impressive 26.3-point May profit. It was a first monthly title since December 2016 for Steve Jones’ one-bet-a-day service, which secured 11 winning selections for a stunning 41% strike-rate.
Mark Your Card continued on a winning curve. An 11.6-point yield was a third successive month of profit, following a slow start to the year.
Personal Info’s two services, Mainline and Saturday-Only, also posted May profits, while First Favourite were denied a winning month by an agonising fraction of a point.
Despite the long gap between table-topping months, Probets has been a constant source of profits in the meantime with last year’s 61.9-point gain earning third place in the overall table. May’s haul included 7/1 Boudica Bay (Musselburgh, 13 May), 11/2 Magnetic Charm (York, 17 May) and 9/2 Mountain Angel (Epsom Downs, 31 May). There were also three 4/1 winners. In all, 19 of the month’s 27 selections finished in the first three.
Mark Your Card continued a steady ascent up the table; in bottom place at the end of February, fourth last month and now third, less than 20-points behind the leader, Daily Bargain. May’s profit of 11.6 points was secured with the customary bundle of attractive winning punts including 10/1 Diocles Of Rome (Doncaster, 31 May), 9/1 Bafana Blue (Hexham, 4 May) and 8/1 Time For Mabel (Leopardstown, 17 May).
Personal Info Mainline, who claimed 11 winning months out of 12 in 2018, were again in winning form. May’s yield of 1.6 points was the third profitable month of the year. Selections in 14 races produced 8 winners with a further six advices finishing second. The highlight was the 5/2 Cork winner California Daddy (10 May).
The second Personal Info service, Saturday-Only, also made it three winning months out of five this year, to add to the nine profitable months secured in both 2017 and ’18. Selections were advised in five races during month with three winners emerging including two 11/10 chances: Dolly’s Destination (Hexham, 11 May) and Battaash (Haydock, 25 May).
The nose that split Scofflaw and Calling Out in the claimer at Wolverhampton on the last day of the month was enough to deny First Favourite a May profit; instead of a 1-point yield, the result was a loss of 0.7 points. It’s been a testing start to the year of First Favourite, but the overall loss for the year is minimal and quickly redeemable when a modicum of good fortune arrives.
Sandbets, Daily Bargain, Early Price Profits and Sprint Specialiser all recorded losing months, surrendering profits earned earlier in the year. The fact that this quartet of value-seeking operators all struggled suggests that May was a testing month. Losing months for such services tend to be heavy, but profitable returns can be spectacular. All four are capable of bouncing back with immediate effect. A few examples: Early Price Profits followed a March loss of 51 points with a 107 point gain in April; Daily Bargain went from a 27-point loss in February 2018 to a 29-point yield in March; and Sprint Specialiser recovered from three losing months between October and December last year (109-points lost) to post table topping efforts in the first three months of 2019, followed by a fourth big yield in April (151 points earned; net profit 42 points).