Probets continue to impress with fifth consecutive winning month
2021-10-31
October’s Besttipping list was headed by Probets, who made it five winning months in a row. Steve Jones’ service posted a 7.1-point yield to finish clear of stablemate, Daily Bargain, who finished the month with a 5.5-point return.
Personal Info’s Saturday-Only service also posted an October profit, but the mainline service just failed in its bid to claim a ninth consecutive month of profit, missing out by just 2.1 points, despite a valiant late surge.
Probets joined Besttipping back in 2013, and, after a rocky first year, an impressive sequence of annual profits was recorded, culminating in a 61.9-point return in 2018, which earned third place in that year’s list. A similar position, albeit with a reduced yield, followed in 2019. Last year’s results were less impressive – a first recorded loss since the service’s debut year – and 2021 began in similar fashion. But early losses were soon recovered, and the balance sheet currently reads seven winning months out of ten.
Probets advised nine winning selections in October for a 7.1-point yield and a 30% strike-rate. Five of those successes came in a breathless opening nine-day charge, with 5/1 Paxos (Kempton, 6 October) heading the roll-of-honour. Although the next seven selections all finished in the first three, only two stuck their necks out to win.
The second half of the month was less productive, but a second 5/1 winner, Ilaraab (Newbury, 23 October), ensured the month would end with a decent profit.
Reigning champion, Daily Bargain, wounded by a 12-point loss in September, was sickly for much of October. But a late rally saved the day. Only two wins from 27 selections suggested the impossible – another losing month – but as so often in the past, patience was rewarded as a pair of winning 9/1 shots: Going Gone (Newmarket, 29 October) and Haafapiece (Wetherby, 30 October), saved the day.
Personal Info’s Saturday-Only service also left it late, securing a sixth profitable return of the year with the victory of 16/1 advice Bermuda at Newmarket on 30 October. General Panic (11/2, Doncaster, 23 October) and Coroebus (10/11, Newmarket, 9 October) also hit the mark while 12/1 Arion earned each-way money when second at Newmarket (30 October).
The final dividend was a 0.03-point yield, but the mainline service missed out on a profit for the first time since January. It was a close call, though. If the Henry de Bromhead-trained gelding Mosala had not fallen two out when prominent in a Cork hurdle on the last day of month we would be celebrating another month of profit.
Although denied that honour, the month had plenty of highlights for Personal Info starting with the success of Scope at Ascot (7/4, 1 October) and continuing with the likes of Twilight Jet (5/2, Newmarket, 8 October), Samburu (12/1, Yarmouth, 11 October), Titian (4/1, Doncaster, 22 October), General Panic (11/2, Doncaster, 23 October) and Bermuda (16/1, Newmarket, 30 October).
With just two months to go, Daily Bargain’s fourth Besttipping crown looks assured. The safety cushion is such that even if the next sixty selections were losers – a preposterous suggestion – then Daily Bargain would probably still run out comfortable winners. With 120 points already in the bank (the sadly moribund Mark Your Card are second with 22.3 points), Daily Bargain could even go close to bettering their personal best tally of 183.5 points, set back in 2012.
Although the title race looks over, there is still all to play for in the battle for second place, as Personal Info (16.7 points), Probets (12.1 points) and Personal Info Saturday-Only (8 points) are all close enough to edge past Mark Your Card.16/1 Jack hits the mark for Personal Info