Eight-day rampage earns another pole position for Daily Bargain

2021-08-31

Just as in July, the Steve Jones’ duo, Daily Bargain and Probets, finished in first and second places in the August Besttipping list. Daily Bargain again led the way with a 22-point yield, with Probets, who boasted a 37% strike-rate, taking second place with a 7.87-point return.

Personal Info’s Saturday-Only service finished 2.42 points up, while Personal Info’s Mainline Service made it seven profitable months on the bounce with a 1.43-point gain.

After a winnerless opening nine days, Daily Bargain proceeded to pulverise the bookies with four winning selections out of eight between 10 and 17 August, recording a 512.5% return on investment (ROI) in the process.

This astonishing streak began with the Chelmsford City success of Greek Kodiac (11/1) and continued three days later with the Julie Camacho-trained Raatea, who secured a Newmarket sprint victory at a cool 14/1. The next day was the turn of Sacred (8/1 advice) who scored a cosy victory in the Hungerford Stakes at Newbury in the hands of Tom Marquand.

The sequence was completed on 17 August when Call Me Ginger (an 8/1 advice) obliged over six furlongs at Hamilton.  And with Dreamseller (6/1 advice, Ripon, 31 August) ensuring the month ended on a high, Daily Bargain could look back on August with huge satisfaction. The 22-point profit takes the 2021 total to 126.5 points and with four months still to come, Daily Bargain’s previous best tally (183.5 points in 2012) could come under threat.

Probets, Steve Jones’ second string, continues to recover from a disastrous opening quarter which saw a 25-point loss. But, with profits in four of the last five months, Probets enter September in much better shape, moving well into credit for the year.

For the first half of August, Probets were showing a 50% strike-rate with eight winners from 16. This haul included 3/1 advice Trinity Girl (Newcastle, 2 August), 100/30 advice Maketh Believeth (Wolverhampton, 9 August) and 3/1 advice Silent Flame (Salisbury, 12 August). The second half of the month was less profitable, although Dancing King (7/2 advice, Goodwood, 28 August) helped to boost the month’s return.

August was another good month for Personal Info’s Saturday-Only service, which secured profits with each of the month’s three bets. Majestic Glory was a winning 13/2 advice at Newmarket on 7 August, and the following Saturday saw another winner at headquarters – Adnaan (6/4).

Reach For The Moon (4/9 advice) maintained the month’s 100% record with a success at Sandown on 21 August.

There was further glory for Personal Info with the Mainline Service returning a 1.43-point yield to make it seven uninterrupted months of profit, following January’s fractional loss (which still earned top position that month). In fact, over the last eleven months, there have been just two losing months for Personal Info, while the Saturday service boosts 10 winning months from the last 13.

Nine of the Mainline Service’s selections were winners, producing a win-to-bet ratio of more than 64%. The string of winners began with Hollow Steel (9/2 advice, Thirsk, 6 August) and continued with the likes of Majestic Glory (13/2, Newmarket, 7 August) and Eikonix (5/2, Wolverhampton, 10 August). There were also an each-way return from second placed Summer’s Day (9/2, Ripon, 2 August).

Although the days are getting shorter, there’s still lots of Flat action in the next few weeks with the Haydock Sprint Cup, the St Leger Meeting at Doncaster, the Ayr Gold Cup and the first leg of the autumn double, the Cambridgeshire, looming large. There’s also plenty of quality action over in Ireland. Needless to say, we’ll be keeping on top of the action during this busy period with regular twitter updates.

Once again, Daily Bargain secured top spot in the July Besttipping listing. A 10.5-point yield was enough to hold stable companion Probets, who ended the month 10.1 points up.

Personal Info earned a sixth straight month of profits while Personal Info’s Saturday-Only service also registered a small July gain.

For some tipsters, a 15-day losing sequence would spell disaster, but for Daily Bargain, it means little. Losing sequences of this nature are quickly absorbed by decently priced winners and the end result is usually a profitable monthly return.

The last three months have been a case in point. June was, by normal standards, a poor month, but it was preceded by a hefty 66-point gain in May, and with July’s profit taken into account, a quarterly yield of more than 63 points was accrued.

There’s never a sense of panic; the winners will appear when they are ready. The first fourteen days of July produced two seconds, three thirds, a non-runner and eight unplaced selections, but the success of Debawtry (8/1 advice) at Hamilton Park on 15 July was followed, three days later, by anther winning selection, Whatwouldyouknow (12/1 advice, Redcar). There were no further winners that week although a couple of seconds (at 11/1 and 11/2) would have satisfied each-way followers.

At this point, the balance sheet was slightly in the red, but two Glorious Goodwood winners, Migration (13/2 advice, 27 July) and Alcohol Free (9/1 advice, 28 July) ensured the month would end with a healthy profit.

For most of the month, it was the second Steve Jones service, Probets, which led the table. Five winners in the opening third of the month included Gweedore (4/1 advice, Ayr, 5 July) and Tregony (11/4 advice, Bath, 7 July). Teescomponentsfly (5/1 advice, 13/2 sp, Redcar, 18 July) maintained this momentum which continued thanks to the Goodwood success of Roger Varian’s charge Nagano (5/1 advice), who gained compensation for a luckless run at Royal Ascot to win the Unibet “15 to go” Handicap.

Despite topping January’s table (albeit with a miniscule loss), Personal Info have now posted six monthly profits on the bounce, thanks to July’s 0.4-point yield. Once again, a big festival meeting brought out the best in the long-established service. Four Goodwood races attracted attention and the winner of all four contests was advised. First it was Angel Bleu (7/2 advice, 27 July). Then followed Armor (6/1 advice, 28 July), Asymmetric (11/4, 29 July) and Imperial Fighter (9/1, 31 July). And, just for good measure, the month ended with the success at Hamilton Park of Emaraaty Ana (10/11 advice, 31 July).

July was also a busy month for Personal Info’s Saturday-Only service, which registered a 0.1-point profit. This would have been much bigger but for a ‘close but no cigar’ day on 17 July when three selections were placed. Those selections that did the business included True Courage (11/2, Leicester, 3 July), Native Trail (11/4 advice, Newmarket, 10 July), Tricky Business (7/2 advice, Newcastle, 24 July) and Imperial Fighter (9/1 advice, Goodwood, 31 July).

Daily Bargain’s progress towards a record-equalling fifth Besttipping title was checked last month as a 13-point loss saw Steve Jones’ service come back to the field slightly. At the end of May, Daily Bargain enjoyed a cushion of almost 86 points, but now that’s down to just less than 72 points. But that still leaves Daily Bargain in a commanding position, especially as nearest rivals, Mark Your Card, are posting far less selections than of old.

Although Daily Bargain was out of sorts, June proved to be an excellent month for stablemate Probets, who topped the month’s listing with a 4.8-point gain.

Personal Info’s Saturday-Only service finished second in June having earned a2.6-point yield with Mark Your Card (2.2 points) and Personal Info (2.1) taking third and fourth positions.

So often Probets have narrowly missed out, with a high proportion of runners finishing second or third, but in June it was the other way around: 22 of the 30 selections finished in the first three, with ten winning. Seven of the ten successes came during a red-hot 13-day period mid-month. However, the month’s best return came via Irish Derby winner, Hurricane Lane, an 11/2 advice on the eve of the race (run at the Curragh on 26 June).

Despoina (100/30, Thirsk, 3 June), Tricorn (7/2, Ayr, 8 June), Siam Fox (5/2, Doncaster, 13 June) and Tregony (5/2, Nottingham, 14 June) also helped the cause, while Royal Ascot was marked with a pair of winning selections, Mohaafeth (11/8, 17 June) and Alenquer (2/1, 18 June).

Second placed Personal Info Saturday-Only were in outstanding form, securing a 67% return on investment. Each-way advice Nazuna (15/2 sp) came home in second place at Epsom on Derby Day (5 June), while Atalis Bay (7/4, Sandown, 12 June) and Point Lonsdale (11/8, Royal Ascot, 19 June) both won their races. And in both cases further profit was earned via placed each-way selections, Steel Bull (17/2) and Reach For The Moon (11/1 sp).

A quiet month for Mark Your Card ended with a useful profit of 2.2 points. James Watt, a 17/2 advice, triumphed at Ripon on 2 June, while good each-way returns were secured from The Blame Game at Cartmel (16/1), Don’t Joke (17/2, Nottingham) and Daafr (17/2, Ayr, all on 2 June).

A fifth winning month out of six was Personal Info’s reward for a solid month’s work that included three Royal Ascot winners: Palace Pier (4/9, 15 June), Mohaafeth (13/8, 17 June) and Point Lonsdale (11/8, 19 June). And June ended on a high with Kayfast Warrior (3/1 sp) winning at Thirsk on the last day of the month.

So, what happened with Daily Bargain? Just two winners – a brace of 13/2 shots, Data Protection (Newmarket, 25 June) and Zeeband (Newcastle, 26 June) – but six runners-up (8/1, 11/1, 16/1, 7/1, 13/2 and 8/1) suggests that the fates were conspiring against the reigning champion. Historically, though, Daily Bargain have a tendency to bounce back from adversity in speedy fashion. Don’t forget, the year opened with a 13-point loss which was followed by monthly yields of 24.5 pts, 24.1 pts, 21 pts and 66 pts. So, don’t be surprised if something similar happens this time around.