Week three and the top portfolios have made little or no ground on the levels recorded at the end of week two, proof if it were needed of the fickleness of financial markets.

Heading the overall leaderboard is Dr Edward Staunton with his curiously named portfolio Casey's Handicap is 36.

Dr Staunton, a general practitioner in Co Tipperary, is an old hand at Irish Times competitions, having won the Fantasy Golf two years ago. Following his victory, a rival in last year's golf competition named his team in the doctor's honour. "Mr Casey had the audacity to name his team Any- body But Staunton," Dr Staunton says. Casey's Handicap is his response although he admits he has never played golf with his rival.

Dr Staunton has included solid blue-chips stocks such as CRH, British Airways and BOC in his portfolio although he says he has not the faintest idea about investing in shares, having never read a business page in the newspaper before entering Sharetrack 100.

"The prices are up and down and roundabout, but the secret seems to be to hit them on the way up. But at the end of the day, it's all a matter of luck and a gamble," he says. With four other portfolios in the top 50, he seems to be catching on quickly.

Also featuring heavily in the overall leader board is stockbroker and Leeds fan, Andrew Nixon, who seems to be enjoying the same good fortune as his favourite soccer team.

He surfaces again with five portfolios, while among the others hanging onto a number of top 50 spots are Mr Alan O'Grady, Mr Donal O'Sullivan, Ms Denise Murphy, Mr James O'Brien and Mr William Kingston.

This week's £1,000 cash prize and a year's free share dealing go to Mr Joe Twomey and Mr Colm Martin, who notched up a whopping 12.5 per cent rise in their portfolio, Joe Twomey 3.

They credit much of the rise to Elan which rewarded their faith with a gain of nearly 16 per cent last week.

Other stocks in the portfolio included Abbey, Deutsche Telecom, Ryanair and Glaxo Wellcome.

"We were absolutely thrilled to hear of our weekly win as our portfolios had a disastrous second and third week in the competition," Mr Twomey says.

"We'll enjoy our fleeting success and we'll certainly consider investing in commission-free stock. We will, of course, be more conservative with our own money."

Both men work for the Revenue Commissioners in Dublin so no doubt they'll never have problems working out their capital gains tax!