What the TV rights fight means for the Fifa Women’s World Cup June 20, 2023 With just five weeks before the Women’s World Cup kicks off in Australia and New Zealand, Fifa has finally reached a deal with the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) to air all 64 matches in Britain, Spain, France and Germany – ending the threat of a blackout in Europe’s top football nations. While ITV and BBC [...]
Ashes: First Test in balance as England take wickets against Australia to leave tourists needing 174 on final day June 19, 2023 The opening Test of this year’s Ashes series between England and Australia is on a knife edge after the tourists lost three wickets yesterday evening at Edgbaston in pursuit of 281 runs. Openers Usman Khawaja and David Warner achieved a partnership of 50 as Australia began their chase of 281 to go ahead in the [...]
Queen’s tennis: Norrie wins in first grass match since Wimbledon semi June 19, 2023 Cameron Norrie won on the opening day of Queen’s as the grass court tennis season gets into full swing ahead of Wimbledon. Ryan Peniston beat world No37 Frenchman Ugo Humbert 6-4 6-2 before British No1 Cameron Norrie toppled Miomir Kecmanovic 6-4 7-6 on Centre Court. Norrie’s match was his first since he reached the semi-finals [...]
Buckaroo to play Games with his Wolferton rivals June 19, 2023 AS HAS become the norm at Royal Ascot, the five-day meeting gets underway with the Queen Anne Stakes (2.30pm) and this year’s renewal, on paper at least, looks a cracker. The market is finding it hard to split Inspiral and MODERN GAMES, but while I respect the former hugely, I’m firmly in the latter’s camp. [...]
Time to get aboard Royal Scotsman in St James’s Palace June 19, 2023 TODAY’S third and final Group One, the St James’s Palace Stakes (4.20pm) pits the winner of the English and Irish 2000 Guineas against each other as CHALDEAN takes on Paddington. Some have crabbed the form of Chaldean’s 2000 Guineas win, but I thought he was much the best at Newmarket and bar unseating Frankie Dettori [...]
Bring on the Ascot Stakes for Mullins’ unexposed Night June 19, 2023 THERE was a sense of disappointment for favourite backers in last year’s Ascot Stakes (5.00pm) when BRING ON THE NIGHT couldn’t get past Coltrane having been produced perfectly inside the final furlong. Looking back on that performance now, it can be seriously upgraded considering Coltrane is rated nearly 20lbs higher and is favourite for Thursday’s [...]
There is a Point in taking on Vauban with Chillingham June 19, 2023 EVERY year there are always a few horses that punters latch onto in the ante-post markets in the build-up to Royal Ascot and this season one of those is most definitely Vauban in the Copper Horse Handicap (6.10pm). Last year’s Triumph Hurdle winner and this season’s Champion Hurdle fourth was originally recruited from the flat [...]
Roger Varian interview: ‘Will I enjoy Royal Ascot? Ask me at the end of the week’ June 19, 2023 Leading trainer Roger Varian on the importance of success at Royal Ascot this week, his ambitions to run Britain’s No1 stable and the future of the horse racing industry. Six days a week at 4:30am, just as the first sunlight is starting to bathe the Cambridgeshire-Suffolk border, horse racing trainer Roger Varian gets up and [...]
Bournemouth hire Andoni Iraola as head coach after sacking Gary O’Neil June 19, 2023 Bournemouth have moved quickly to appoint Spaniard Andoni Iraola as their new head coach after ruthlessly sacking Gary O’Neil. Iraola, who rejected a move to Leeds United last season, joins after a three-year spell at Rayo Vallecano, who he led back into LaLiga and to an 11th-placed finish last term. The 40-year-old becomes the fifth [...]
Sam Torrance: Breakthrough for Clark, heartbreak for McIlroy at US Open June 19, 2023 An enormous win for Wyndham Clark and more heartbreak for Rory McIlroy – the 123rd US Open was an exhilarating watch that featured some sublime golf. Clark won by one shot at Los Angeles Country Club on Sunday night, and while the margin was a fine one he had looked like a winner for most [...]