Winning 33/1 nap for Farringdon secures June crown

After May’s feast, June offered much leaner fare with only two services posting profits in Napchecker nap’s table. The Morning Star’s Farringdon topped the list with a 15.8-point profit with Marlborough second on 3.7 points. Glendale, who leads the annual race, came home in third with a small 0.6-point loss.

Farringdon’s success owed everything to a stunning five-day spell which began with Naval Crown’s sensational victory in the six-furlong Platinum Jubilee Stakes at the Royal Meeting (18 June). Despite a CV that boasted two wins at Meydan, a second in the Jersey Stakes and fourth in last year’s 2,000 Guineas, Naval Crown went off at 33/1.

Two days after Navan Crown’s win, Stone Circle added to Farringdon’s yield with victory at Chepstow, at 5/4 and, a further two days on, it was the turn of Donald McCain’s hurdler Gaelik Coast, who won over two and half miles at Worcester at 13/2.

Remarkably these three wins, were Farringdon’s only successes of the month and were bookended by losing sequences of seventeen and seven. But, as it’s all about the final return, Farringdon’s victory in the June crown was well deserved.

Second placed Marlborough boasted a strike-rate of more than 37%, almost four times that of Farringdon. Best priced of the month’s ten winners was Elsals, who scored at 4/1 at Haydock on 8 June and the longest losing sequence was a very manageable five. The only downside was the absence of a big-priced winner. It wasn’t for for want of trying, though: six selections recorded sp’s of 11/1 or above. If any single one had prevailed, Marlborough would be celebrating June glory. Absolute Queen (14/1, Nottingham, 13 June) came nearest, going down by a neck.

Racing Post Ratings led the 2022 naps table coming into June, with a 7.3-point advantage over Glendale, with a second Racing Post service, Postdata, back in third. However, the month wasn’t kind to Ratings or Postdata, who both registered double-figure losses. As a consequence, Glendale, who survived the month almost intact, moved into top-spot in the annual race with a 13.9-point profit.

Glendale also looked in trouble and was 15.2-points down entering the final three days of action. However, Austrian Theory (14/1, Hamilton, 28 June) and Ash Tree Meadow (13/8, Perth, 30 June) both obliged, reducing the loss significantly.

With the exception of Marlborough, no tipster bettered Fortunatus’ strike-rate of 30%. Frustratingly, this didn’t translate into a positive return, and the Sheffield Star’s pundit had to settle for a 3.8-point loss, brought about by an eight-day losing streak mid-month. Either side of this, Fortunatus showed good form with five winners from 13 (including the 13/2 1,000 Guineas heroine, Tuesday) during the first fortnight of the month and a further four winners during the month’s last nine days.

Scout (-5.8 points) suffered a similar mid-month malaise, while a run of just one win in twenty undid the Guardian’s challenge.

The June all-tips table was headed by The Irish Times’ Brian O’Conner, who showed a loss of just 5.2 points. The best of the British-based newspapers was the Star, who ended June 80.7-points down (25% strike-rate).

Date Published: 03/07/2022