Shares Race Week 2: leader plots a map to success

It's a bag of mixed fortunes in week two of the race, but no doubt all racers are pleased to be ahead of the dartboard, which slipped to last place with more than half of its picks dipping into the red.

But it's Kalkine's head of research Hina Chowdhary​ that is riding the highest this week. Chowdhary holds little-known stock NearMap in her imaginary portfolio. The company makes high-resolution aerial imagery and its shares have exploded this week, adding 50 per cent in value in just a week, sitting pretty at $15,616 from an initial $10,000 outlay.

It's put the investor at the top of the tree ahead of Money editor Caitlin Fitzsimmons, whose investment in Fairfax has turned into positive territory this week. Interestingly Fitzsimmons also holds Fairfax disruptors REA Group and Seek, all of whom have had a solid week on the sharemarket.

Speaking of the ASX, the All Ordinaries ended the period up 55 points or 1 per cent, helping six of the eight tipsters cement positions in positive territory.

Gold remained a popular trade this week and gold miner and explorer Resolute Mining is the second-best stock so far, although a distant second to NearMap, worth $11,176 and a stand out for sixth-placed chartist Richard Pritchard's mining heavy portfolio. Pritchard also holds the third-best stock, debt collector Collection House.

But gold miners haven't been all, er, gold, for our tipsters. Market minnow Millennium Metals is the biggest lagger of the lot, shrinking a $10,000 outlay to just $8235, and sits on last placed dartboard's list. Lithium Australia is second in line for the wooden spoon, despite lithium miners being a popular play in recent rounds, and offsetting some of the strong gains in Pritchard's portfolio.

Shares Race is a fantasy shares game. Players choose 10 stocks and start with $10,000 in each. There are no prizes, only glory! If you are interested in playing, please email caitlin.fitzsimmons@fairfaxmedia.com.au.