Steve Jones claims memorable one-two

2017-07-31

Steve Jones’ memorable summer continued in July with his two services, Daily Bargain and Probets, claiming the top two positions in the latest monthly Besttipping challenge. And, in the process of securing a third monthly success in a row, Daily Bargain has now taken over at the head of the 2017 table, with a 123.5-point profit.

Isiris finished third in the July list, posting an 8.8-point profit, while Personal Info, Personal Info-Saturday Only and Those2oppose also enjoyed a profitable July.

Having endured a challenging 2016, Daily Bargain quickly found its stride this year, finishing first in January, second in February and third in the April lists. At that point, the profit for the year amounted to 22 points, certainly acceptable, but some way off the early pacesetter, Isiris Mark Your Card. A resounding 63-point yield in May, followed by June’s 14.5-point gain reduced the margin between the two services.

Two winning 8/1 advices, Intimate Art (Chelmsford City, 7 July) and Ulysses (Eclipse Stakes, Sandown, 8 July) gave Daily Bargain a dream start to July and this is before Above The Rest, a 25/1 advice, triumphed in the Bunbury Cup at Newmarket (15 July). By this point it was just a question of how much profit July would bring for the 2012 champions, and, thanks to Roaring Rory (6/1, Beverley, 18 July) the answer was 24 points.

Probets, which looks for shorter-priced selections than stable companion Daily Bargain, also had a fine time of it in July with 10 winning selections from 29, which represents an impressive 34% strike-rate. There were two 9/2 winners, Rahmah (Chepstow, 4 July) and Raheen House (Newmarket, 13 July), one at 4s, one at 100/30 and two at 3/1.  It all added-up to a 10.3-point profit, the fourth time this service has posted a positive return this year. With other services stumbling last month, it also means a climb up the 2017 table from sixth position to fourth.

Isiris finished third in the July listings with Aclimatise, a 4/1 advice, landing the spoils at Thirsk (18 July).

With a 15-winner haul and a 42% strike-rate, July saw Personal Info in fine fettle, particularly towards the end of the month when a sequence of eight winning bets out of nine was racked-up. This run included a winning 100/30 advice, Fast Dancer (Bath, 26 July). There were nine other odds-against successes including two winners at 2/1 and one at 7/4.

July was also a month of profit for Personal Info’s Saturday-Only service which posted five selections with three winning and the other – both advised each-way – finishing in the money. The yield of 3.4 points was the fourth profitable return of the year. Since the last Saturday of May, 18 Saturday-Only selections have produced nine winners (50%) with a further five tips finishing in second or third place.

Those2oppose’s only July selection, Breton Rock (6/1, Newmarket, 1 July) finished third earning good each-way money into the bargain.

So, seven months into the year, Daily Bargain are strongly positioned to repeat the 2012 win. Jones’ service has garnered 123.5 points so far this year, double that of nearest challenger, Mark Your Card. However, anyone who has followed Besttipping in recent years will know just how quickly the Isiris service can make up lost ground. Last year, for example, Mark Your Card finished top of the August, September and October lists and, in the course of the final five months of the year, collected an impressive 178.8 points of profit. Clearly, the race is far from over.