19 June on this day… June 18, 2015 2001: BRITISH Lions suffered their first setback when they lost 28-25 to Aussie A, having scored 241 and conceded 24 in the opening three games. The trend continued in the Test series; the Lions went one up but lost. Will Greenwood (above) was on his second Lions tour but did not make his Test debut [...]
Royal Ascot 2015: Top hats off for Eagle and that man Frankie Dettori June 18, 2015 BILL ESDAILE PREVIEWS TOMORROW’S FINAL DAY OF ROYAL ASCOT Tomorrow's Hardwicke Stakes (3.40pm) has all the ingredients to be a mouth-watering encounter. With all seven confirmed runners having triumphed in today’s Group Two company or better it is a race to savour. Telescope, who won this race last year by a scorching [...]
Huntsmans can go close for Charlton and Buick June 18, 2015 FOLLOWING on from the Diamond Jubilee is the Wokingham Handicap (5.00pm), one of the biggest betting races of the week. With 30 horses sprinting up Ascot’s home straight, you may think you’ve got a better chance of landing tonight’s EuroMillions than finding the winner. It’s an incredibly difficult race, for sure, and nobody really knows [...]
Brazen Aussies can rule in the Jubilee again June 18, 2015 CHOISIR changed the face of Royal Ascot forever when he landed an extraordinary Group One sprint double at the meeting in 2003. Paul Perry’s beast was an unfancied 25/1 shot for the King’s Stand on the opening day and returned just four days later to scoop the Golden Jubilee at 13/2. His unlikely feat showed [...]
Moore may have found another winner June 18, 2015 BILL ESDAILE PREVIEWS THE BEST OF TODAY’S ROYAL ASCOT ACTION THE opening day of Royal Ascot promised two huge battles when the line-ups for the Queen Anne Stakes and St James’ Palace Stakes were confirmed. Yet the dominant performances of Solow over Able Friend in the former and Gleneagles over Make Believe in the latter [...]
Hootenanny can sail in and make it America’s Cup June 18, 2015 A RGUABLY the best race of the day is the newly-created Group One Commonwealth Cup (3.40pm). Leading contender Limato had his colours lowered for the first time in his six-race career at Haydock last month, but the rain had got into the ground that day and he was drawn out on his own. He’s far [...]
Maximum excitement on Royal Ascot June 18, 2015 ROYAL Ascot is the pinnacle of the Flat season and punters have been getting the better of the argument over the first few days, thanks to Ryan Moore for the most part. The world’s best jockey has plenty of big chances again today and spread bettors can support him on the Ryan Moore jockey index. [...]
It’s all about style, admits cool Morgan June 17, 2015 ENGLAND skipper Eoin Morgan has prioritised style over substance after his side mustered a record run chase in a seven-wicket demolition of New Zealand at Trent Bridge last night to set up a winner-takes-all finale to the one-day series. The rampant hosts successfully chased down 350 with six overs to spare, eclipsing their previous best [...]
Murray will not win Wimbledon, insists Wawrinka June 17, 2015 French Open champion Stan Wawrinka ranked Britain’s Andy Murray as only the third-favourite to win Wimbledon after failing to contain big-serving South African Kevin Anderson in the second round of the Aegon Championships yesterday. Second seed Wawrinka slipped to his fourth consecutive defeat against familiar nemesis Anderson, losing 7-6 (7-4), 7-6 (13-11), a day after [...]
Liverpool to reject Manchester City’s Raheem Sterling bid and issue record transfer fee demand June 17, 2015 Manchester City are likely to have shell out a record fee for an English footballer of more than £40m if they want to sign unsettled Liverpool forward Raheem Sterling. The Reds were yesterday expected to reject City’s latest bid for the 20-year-old, which is thought to amount to £35.5m rising to a possible £40m [...]