Robin Goodfellow heads naps table
We are approaching the half-way point in the 2018 Napchecker Challenge and, thanks to another profitable return, Robin Goodfellow of the Daily Mail has taken over at the head of the table. The Mail’s premier tipster advised eight winning naps from 31 last month with Waiting For Richie (7/1, York, 17 May) and Reverend James (4/1, York, 16 May) leading the way.
Goodfellow has accumulated a 36.8-point profit so far in 2018, 3.6 points more than the previous leading napster, Templegate (the Sun). Third, with a 9.9-point profit sits Marlborough (Daily Telegraph) whose 5.3-point yield was rewarded with top spot in the May listings.
Eleven of Marlborough’s 29 naps were victorious (37.93% strike-rate) last month, including 7/1 Baraweez at Chester on 26 May. Like Robin Goodfellow, Marlborough was also onto Reverend James (4/1, York, 16 May).
Marlborough’s nearest challenger in May was Newsboy. The Daily Mirror’s napster was successful with eight of his 31 selections. Chester’s May Festival was a lucrative meeting for Newsboy with 8/1 Magic Circle (11 May) and 13/2 Gabrial The Saint (9 May) both prevailing.
Last year’s challenge winners Racing Post Ratings finished third in the May listings with a 3.2-point gain. Ten winners from 30 selections (33.33% strike-rate) included the 9/2 Musselburgh winner Royal Brave (4 May).
The Duke (Yorkshire Post) also boasted a splendid May strike-rate of 36.67%. An overall 1.7-point yield helped The Duke to fifth in 2018 standings – the highest placed of all the regional tipsters involved in the competition. Closer inspection reveals a month of two halves: between 1 and 14 May, 14 naps produced 8 winners (57.14% strike-rate), while the remaining 17-day period saw just 3 winners (18.75%), which accounts for the modest overall gain.
Orin Swift, a 9/1 winner at Newbury (18 May) helped Rob Wright (the Times) secure a May profit of 1.6 points. The Jonathan Portman-trained four-year-old was one of six winning naps for the man from the thunderer.
A few months back I looked at the records of tipsters when napping horses from specific jumping stables. Now that the Flat season is well established it’s time to reveal which trainer/tipster combos are worth noting. John Gosden has been a profitable source of winners for The Duke (5.3-point yield, three winners, including a 5/1 nap, from five selections) and Patrick Weaver (Daily Star) (4.9-points, five winners from five – 100%!).
The Duke also shows a small profit when napping Mark Johnston runners with three wins from six.
The Scout (Daily Express) and Marlborough are both two from two when backing William Haggas-trained candidates, while Kevin Walsh of The Irish Post has a handsome 6.3-point yield when napping Charlie Appleby-trained runners: three wins from eight including 9/2 and 4/1 successes.
Hambleton-handler Kevin Ryan is enjoying a cracking season and at the time of writing is showing a £44 profit to a £1 stake. Robin Goodfellow is currently 10.5 points up when napping Ryan’s runners with three naps producing two winners at 7/1 and 9/2. The Guardian are also benefiting from Ryan’s exceptional form. They are 5 points to the good with two winners (including a 9/2 shot) from three.
At the time of writing, there are no clear beneficiaries from supporting Richard Fahey, Richard Hannon and Michael Appleby, but, of course, this could all change. As ever, it pays to utilize the advance search facility on the Napchecker naps page to identity emerging trends. Good luck, folks.
Date Published: 06/06/2018