Personal Info Saturday-Only secures January crown

2023-01-31

January provided its usual low-key start to the racing year. A hangover from the busy holiday period, the pre-Cheltenham Festival stasis and an uninspiring programme book invariably mean that the passing of the first month of the year is keenly anticipated by many in the racing community. Also, this year, there were a number of meetings lost to the elements, including Ascot’s Clarence House Chase fixture and the two jumping days of Lingfield’s ambitious, but largely overlooked Winter Millions Meeting.

It all added up to a tepid opening to 2023, which was reflected in January’s Besttipping table, which was topped by Personal Info’s Saturday-Only service with a 0.55-point loss. The same outfit’s Mainline service finished second with a 0.75-point loss with Probets third with a negative return of 1.25 points.

The six-time Besttipping champ, Daily Bargain, struggled and for the third successive year posted a loss, this time to the tune of 15 points.

The victory of 11/2 The Pug at Lingfield Park (28 January) was the highlight of a truncated month for the two Personal Info services. Second placed Fullforward (11/1) was also advised each-way in that race, while Mainline also earned place money from 3/1 Dancing In Brazil at Cheltenham on the opening day of the year.

Saturday-Only’s top spot was the first for this service since November 2021, and breaks a sequence of twelve successive first places for the two Steve Jones services, Probets and Daily Bargain.

Probets ended the month in fine shape with three winners, three seconds and two thirds from the month’s last nine selections. Overall, subscribers to Probets enjoyed six winning selections with Iva Feeling, a 13/2 winner at Dundalk on 18 January standing out.

This return to some semblance of form by Probets comes after a torrid finale to 2022, when a run of four losing months handed the title to stablemate Daily Bargain.

After Never Dark’s success at Wolverhampton on 5 January, Daily Bargain suffered a seventeen-day losing run before Bond Boy obliged at the same course on 23 January. This 7/1 strike reduced the loss to double figures but failed to inspire further wins.

February offers the promise of some fine racing, with Cheltenham clues aplenty in this weekend’s Dublin Racing Festival at Leopardstown. Thereafter there’s top-class action at Newbury (Betfair Hurdle, 11 February), Haydock (Betfred Grand National Trial, 18 February), Ascot (Betfair Ascot Chase, 18 February), not forgetting the Winter Derby for All Weather fans (Lingfield, 25 February).