One of the biggest weekends on the sporting calendar has come and gone leaving behind many story lines and contentious talking points. Not only that, it brought about the start of the biggest cycling race in the world and tennis has returned back to the grass courts of SW19. I discuss all the main issues in the sporting world and look ahead to another fascinating week.
1. From Hero to Zero
Frankie Dettori enjoyed a fantastic Royal Ascot after a slow start, with the pinnacle coming in the Gold Cup where he soared home on Courage Mon Ami. It was a moving week as the man who has been dubbed the ‘King of Ascot’ came into the racecourse on the Saturday morning in the royal procession behind HRH King Charles.
A week on and it’s back down to Earth for Frankie after confirmation that he’ll miss the July Cup at Newmarket due to incurring a ban for his ride on the King’s horse Saga at the Royal meeting. With the July Cup the only British Group 1 missing from his collection, punters will be disappointed his history-making bid has been denied. However, as one door closes another door opens, and the stage is now set for someone else to grab the headlines.
Shaquille to win the July Cup @ 9/4
2. A severing of relations
The second Ashes Test Match, much like the first, left everyone gripped right up until the fifth afternoon. After a lack lustre first day on which England simply didn’t show up, no one would’ve predicted that come day five England would need less than 100 runs with four wickets in hand.
Having gone missing with the bat for much of his term as captain, it was a blessing and a relief to watch Ben Stokes go about his second innings chase in a manner which only Ben Stokes can. An innings which started slowly, before exploding into life in a 20-minute burst before lunch which included taking Cameron Green for 24 in one over and setting a new record in Ashes cricket with nine sixes helping him accumulate an impressive 155 runs. From an England fans perspective, many hope this is the start of a rich run of form which can lead England back from the dead.
Unfortunately, Stokes’ almost heroics weren’t the main talking point come the end of the match. Instead, it was the actions of Australian wicketkeeper Alex Carey just before lunch which caught the headlines. His ‘stumping’ of Jonny Bairstow left a bitter taste in English mouths. The 3rd umpire’s decision ultimately proved to be a game deciding one which now sees England 2-0 down in the five-match series. Was it the right decision by law? Yes. Was it the right decision in terms of the spirit of the game? That’s up to the individual to decide.
England to win The Ashes @ 10-1
3. Football’s gone mad
70 million pounds is the difference in the modern age between a World cup winner and Europa Conference League winner.
The former has been seen as one of the signings of the summer by many. Alexis Mac Allister’s move from Brighton to Liverpool for 35 million is seen as an absolute steal to most. He shone for Argentina on the biggest stage of all and Liverpool will be hoping he is the missing piece of the puzzle.
The latter is Declan Rice. Arsenal have finally got their man and agreed terms with West Ham for the Englishman. The price tag of 105 million pounds has raised eyebrows. There is no doubting that Rice is one of the best midfielders in the English game and is a stalwart in Gareth Southgate’s England side. However, he is four years older than Jude Bellingham, who is one of the most exciting talents in world football and moved for (only) 88.5 million pounds last month.
If Rice leads Arsenal to a first league title since 2003 then he will be a priceless addition. But it is certainly a surprise that this young man from West London, will become the most expensive Englishman ever. Who would have thought that a couple years ago!
Arsenal to win the Premier League @ 6/1
4. Tour de France: Unchained or Unrealistic?
The release of the highly anticipated Netflix series following the Tour de France has finally reached our screens. As the biggest cycling race in the world got underway last weekend, it did so with an entirely new fanbase. Many involved have come out and said how much they enjoyed it and how significant the benefits for the sport will be.
Thomas Pidcock, a British rider for Ineos Grenadiers, said he enjoyed watching himself, and found it exciting to see a dramatized version of the tour. There are some, however, who have firmly stated that the fictitious nature of certain aspects of the show have rendered it a misleading advertisement for the sport. One section of the show describes the conflicting tensions within the Jumbo-Visma team. These tensions have been described as ‘disturbing’ by those involved and the fabricated nature of them raises the question that are these documentaries good for the sport if they’re not 100% realistic.
Tom Pidcock to win a stage of the Tour de France @ 8/15
5. The Kyrgios show missing from SW19
The big news over the weekend in the tennis world was the withdrawal of 2022 runner-up Nick Kyrgios from the men’s competition at Wimbledon. The Australian is well known for his theatrics and exciting brand of tennis. However, injury has hampered his 2023 season where he would’ve been hoping to pick up from his form in 2022 which led him to a Grand Slam Final and an Australian Open doubles title.
His absence will be felt keenly by some, but others will be thankful for his withdrawal. Carlos, who is set to be Djokovic’s main rival after his Queen’s triumph, will be glad to have one less obstacle in the way of claiming a first Wimbledon title.
Carlos Alcaraz to win Wimbledon @ 10/3
