Mark Your Card's last-ditch effort is rewarded

2019-07-31

Mark Your Card’s last-ditch effort is rewarded

With a 29-point July profit, Mark Your Card secured back-to-back wins in the Besttipping monthly challenge and, in so doing, strengthened their advantage in the race to win the 2019 title. Steve Jones’ Daily Bargain came a close second in the July lists with 18 points, and occupy the same position in the overall race, 19.5 points adrift of Mark Your Card.

Jones’ second service, Probets, finished third in July with a 5.8-point yield, ahead of Personal Info, who recorded a fourth consecutive month of profit.

After losing months in January and February, Mark Your Card where stuck in last place in the table, but an unbroken sequence of five winning months has transformed their fortunes. A 44.4-point June profit completed the ascent from last to first place, and July followed in similar style. This wasn’t the Mark Your Card of old, when they would frequently post more than 300 selections a month; July’s profits came from a mere 126 advices - with plenty of “no-bet” days.  

Kurious (12/1 advice, Sandown) and Kellys Dino (16/1 advice, Haydock) brought up a pleasing double on 6 July, but it wasn’t until the second half of the month that the winners began to flow: Destinys Rock (10/1 advice) and Bogardus (12/1 advice) scored at Nottingham on 16 July, and the following day at nearby Uttoxeter, it was the turn of Camlad Kingfisher (8/1). Royal Prospect was another winning 10/1 advice at Redcar on 21 July and the month ended spectacularly with a brace of Beverley beauties on 30 July: King’s Pavilion (18/1 advice) and Graceful Act (25/1 advice).

For much of the month, however, Daily Bargain were clear of the pack and were only denied by Mark Your Card’s exploits on an explosive penultimate day of action. Nonetheless, an 18-point yield was a highly satisfactory result for Daily Bargain. And, like, Mark Your Card, this was a fifth month of profit from seven in 2019.

Five winning advices were given including 16/1 Communique, winner of the Prince of Wales’ Tattersalls Stakes at Newmarket on 11 July. Knockout Blow (8/1, Brighton, 9 July), Just Hubert (7/1, Ripon 8 July) and Sir Dancealot (13/2, Goodwood, 30 July) also made telling contributions to Daily Bargain’s haul.

Jones was also in good midsummer shape with his second service, Probets, notching a 5.8-point yield. A 10-winner return (33% Strike-rate) included 5/1 Jazeel, successful at Sandown on 5 July, and Attainment, a 9/2 victor at Chelmsford City on 23 July. Probets are now fourth in the 2019 table on 4.2 points, less than two and a half points behind third place Sprint Specialiser.

Also registering a fifth month of profit in 2019 was Personal Info with seven winners earning a 0.2-point return. The month began well with two consecutive winning races, and ended emphatically with three winners on the bounce including two at Glorious Goodwood, reinforcing Personal Info’s reputation for profits at the big festival meetings.  There was also an agonising sequence of five second places in a row. Best priced of the seven winning advices was Green Or Black, successful at Cartmel on 20 July.

July was another near-miss month for First Favourite. Two wins from five selections added up to a loss of less than one-point.