Jai Hindley won stage five of the Tour de France in Laruns to take the yellow jersey from Adam Yates and Jonas Vingegaard rode clear of rival Tadej Pogacar as an early trip to the Pyrenees ripped up the general classification.
Hindley, winner of last year’s Giro d’Italia, marked himself out as a major contender with a breakaway victory but surely more important was the sight of defending champion Vingegaard leaving behind two-time winner Pogacar on the final climb to make his case as the favourite to be in yellow come Paris.
Having gone clear from the last of his fellow escapees on the final climb of the Col de Marie Blanque, Hindley soloed into Laruns to take the win by 32 seconds, with Vingegaard coming home at the back of a four-strong group that was second on the road.
With bonus seconds applied, Hindley now leads overall by 47 seconds from Vingegaard with Giulio Ciccone in third, 63 seconds back.
The Australian may be making his Tour de France debut, but given Hindley has twice stood on the podium of the Giro it was a huge surprise to see how easily he got into the break.
“I’m a bit lost for words to be honest,” the Bora-Hansgrohe rider said. “I can’t believe it. I was pretty surprised to find myself in that group. I just sort of slipped into it. I was sort of having fun, then looked back and there was no group behind so I thought, ‘I guess we’re in for a bike race’.
“The gap grew out initially and I was just trying to maybe get a bit of a buffer on the GC guys and then I started to think about the stage win.”
Pogacar, utterly unable to respond when Vingegaard launched his own move on the Marie Blanque, lost more than a minute to Vingegaard and slipped to sixth, one minute and 40 seconds off yellow. Adam Yates is now fifth and his twin brother Simon seventh.
The first real mountain battle of the Tour turned into a fascinating tactical battle as Hindley slipped into a strong breakaway that got clear during a frantic start to the 163km stage out of Pau.
Pogacar’s UAE Team Emirates were unable to shut it down and got no help from any of their rivals, watching the advantage balloon to four minutes as they climbed the hors categorie Col de Soudet midway through the stage.
Hindley would have been hoping to gain a bigger lead given the time gaps that had been seen, but when Vingegaard made a late dig of his own he quickly distanced Pogacar and kept himself within reach of the yellow jersey.
Jodie Burrage admitted nerves got the better of her on her Centre Court debut as she tumbled out of Wimbledon in front of David Beckham.
Former England captain Beckham watched from the Royal Box as Britain’s Burrage was routed 6-0 6-2 by Russian 11th seed Daria Kasatkina.
“It was a good experience. Obviously not the result that I wanted. The first set was pretty brutal,” said Burrage, 24.
“But all in all, you dream to be out on Centre Court. When I found out yesterday, it’s so exciting.
“In the same breath, you’ve got to deal with those nerves as well. I wish I could have settled a little bit earlier today. But you’ve got to go through these experiences to feel more comfortable in the next ones.
“So, yeah, it was a tough day, but also one of my dreams come true.”
Burrage arrived on court with high hopes after reaching the Nottingham final last month and then knocking out Caty McNally on Monday for her first win at a grand slam and a likely place in the top 100.
But she found herself staring down the barrel of a humiliating ‘double-bagel’ in the second round after dropping the first set without winning a game in 19 chastening minutes.
Kasatkina held again at the start of the second before Burrage finally got on the board, raising her arms in mock celebration in front of the Royal Box.
Bear Grylls, also watching from the posh seats, would have enjoyed the survival skills on display as Burrage went on to clinch a break of serve to lead 2-1.
But she was unable to hold serve before a rain delay and, despite some admirable resistance upon the resumption, Kasatkina clinically closed out the match in exactly one hour.
“I mean, having the people who were in that box out there watching you. I actually didn’t see who was in there,” added Burrage.
“When you’re on the court, it’s hard to see who is in there. You don’t want to really look and stare.
“Then during the rain delay, they obviously had the cameras around, and in the room we’re in I obviously saw David Beckham was announced. ‘Oh my God, David Beckham is watching me play tennis right now’. And I was at 6-0, 2-2.”
Arthur Fery showed his potential on his Wimbledon debut despite a straight-sets loss to third seed Daniil Medvedev.
The 20-year-old, ranked 391, matched his illustrious opponent in the first set before a rain delay disrupted things and eventually fell to a 7-5 6-4 6-3 loss.
Fery has followed Cameron Norrie’s route to professional tennis by taking a scholarship to a US college – Stanford in his case – and is likely to decide later this year whether to complete his degree or pursue his sporting dreams immediately.
His natural touch and willingness to come to the net make him well suited to grass and he looked at home on Court One straight away after a rain shower delayed the start.
Fery, who has French parents but grew up in Wimbledon, won his opening two service games to love and forced a break point on the serve of Medvedev – playing his first match at the All England Club since 2021 after last year’s ban.
It was the Russian who made the first move with a break for 3-2 but Fery delighted the crowd by hitting straight back, prompting his excited father Loic – owner of French top division football club Lorient – to leap from his seat punching the air.
Fery held his own until 5-5 when rain again began to fall, calling into serious question the organisers’ decision not to close the roof.
Still it stayed open, and the delay did not help Fery as he dropped his serve on the resumption before Medvedev, who was returning from metres behind the baseline, clinched the opening set.
Listed at a generous 5ft 8in on the ATP website, Fery was giving away nearly a foot to his opponent and Medvedev began to make his longer levers count, drawing more errors from his young opponent.
The third seed was by a long way the highest-ranked player Fery, making his tour level debut, had ever faced, and he was bidding to defeat a top-100 player for the first time.
Medvedev saved a break point in a long service game at 1-2 in the second set before breaking Fery again, but back came the young Londoner.
The disappointment for Fery was that, having given himself a chance in the set by pulling back to 4-4, he was then broken again.
The 20-year-old recalled watching Medvedev’s US Open triumph in 2021 on his phone on the Tube while travelling back from a music festival, but he continued to do a good job of narrowing the gulf between them in the third set.
Medvedev was playing his part in that, too, with more errors than he would have liked but he succeeded in finding a way past Fery, who left the court to loud cheers.
Medvedev admitted he was unsure how he would be received, saying: “I was pretty nervous. I didn’t play here for two years.
“I didn’t know which reception I would get and it was unbelievable. I’m not loved everywhere for who I am, sometimes I get crazy on the court.
“It was an amazing feeling to be back here. I’m going to be loving my time here. Hopefully I can prolong it as long as possible.”
Paddy Twomey’s high-class filly Rosscarbery will not make a swift return to action in the bet365 Lancashire Oaks at Haydock on Saturday.
Having made a successful start to her campaign in the Munster Oaks at Cork, the four-year-old stepped up to Group One level for last weekend’s Pretty Polly Stakes.
The daughter of Sea The Stars was beaten five lengths into fourth place and Twomey believes she would have picked up valuable black type but for being hampered by eventual winner Via Sistina.
The Irish trainer has, though, decided against bidding for swift compensation on Merseyside, instead electing to keep his powder dry for major targets later in the summer.
“I made the entry (at Haydock) just to keep my options open. She’s entered in pretty much everything across the board,” said Twomey.
“She’s come out of the Curragh in good form. It was a pity what happened in the race as I think she’d have been in the first three with a clear passage.
“A mile and a quarter is her minimum trip – she stays a mile and a half and a mile and six. She needs everything to go right at 10 furlongs, so to get stopped in her tracks like that wasn’t ideal, but it is what it is and we move on to the next day.”
Considering future plans, he added: “We’ll see what we do, but a race like the Yorkshire Oaks would be very suitable for her – a mile and a half with a long straight.
“I think a mile and a half sees her to best effect, as she showed in Cork in the Munster Oaks.
“We’ll talk with the owners and make a plan, but the aim is to try to win a Group One if we can.”
Twomey also entered Final Gesture for the Lancashire Oaks, but confirmed she will instead be readied for next week’s Stanerra Stakes at Leopardstown.
Two protesters have been arrested after disrupting Wimbledon by throwing orange-coloured confetti and jigsaw pieces on Court 18.
Tournament organisers announced on Twitter the pair were arrested on suspicion of aggravated trespass and criminal damage after running on to the court during a match between Grigor Dimitrov and Sho Shimabukuro.
The Metropolitan Police said on Twitter that a man and a woman were in custody after the incident.
Just Stop Oil has named the activists as Deborah Wilde and Simon Milner-Edwards.
Wimbledon tweeted: “Following an incident on Court 18, two individuals have been arrested on suspicion of aggravated trespass and criminal damage and these individuals have now been removed from the Grounds.
“Play on the court was temporarily paused and, following a suspension in play due to a rain delay, play is about to resume.”
The crowd jeered them before they were escorted away by security guards and police.
Grounds staff came on to pick the confetti and jigsaw pieces up while one member used a leafblower shortly before the rain started.
The protest happened as Home Secretary Suella Braverman and Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer held talks with police and sports chiefs to discuss how to prevent Just Stop Oil activists targeting flagship events.
The second Ashes Test at Lord’s, the Gallagher Premiership rugby final at Twickenham and the World Snooker Championship have all been affected in recent months.
In a statement, Just Stop Oil said “we can’t leave it to the next generation to pick up the pieces”.
Deborah Wilde, 68, a retired teacher from London, ran on the court shortly after 2.10pm.
She said: “I’m just an ordinary grandmother in resistance to this Government’s policy of serving us new oil and gas licences. In normal circumstances this sort of disruption would be entirely unacceptable, but these aren’t normal circumstances.
“We’ve just had the hottest June on record, breaking the previous record by nearly a whole degree! We don’t need Hawk-eye to see that our Government issuing over 100 new fossil fuel licences is a very bad line-call.
“Forget strawberries and cream, scientists are warning of impending food shortages, mass displacement and war.
“We are facing new pandemics, economic inflation and increasingly authoritarian governments who will attempt to crush civil unrest.
“This is a crisis and it needs a crisis response. I want a safe future, not just for my grandchildren but for all children around the world and the generations to come.”
The other Just Stop Oil protester who invaded Court 18 was Simon Milner-Edwards, 66, a retired musician, from Manchester.
He revealed he brought the confetti into the grounds in a jigsaw box, but refused to say which gate he entered through.
Via the JSO statement, he said: “I’m here for my grandchildren and everybody else’s. I’m not prepared to let our politicians wreck everything and leave the next generation to pick up the pieces.
“The last thing I want to do is spoil people’s enjoyment of Wimbledon, but right now, on Centre Court, it’s humanity versus oil and gas – and the umpire is getting every call wrong.
“How long are we going to take this before we see a McEnroe-level meltdown?”
The protest did not disrupt proceedings too much as rain started falling shortly after.
The match resumed 45 minutes later.
Ian Poulter believes changes need to be made at the top of golf’s established tours for the proposed peace deal between the game’s rival factions to work.
World number two Jon Rahm admitted players felt a “bit of betrayal” following the shock announcement that the PGA Tour and DP World Tour plan to merge their commercial operations with Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF), which bankrolls the breakaway LIV Golf League.
PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan conceded he would be labelled a hypocrite for negotiating the framework agreement and was accused of becoming a “Saudi shill” by a group representing families of those killed in the 9/11 terrorist attacks.
Monahan faced calls to resign at a heated players meeting immediately after the deal was announced and is currently recuperating from a “medical situation” which means he will not testify before a Senate committee looking into the deal next week.
DP World Tour chief executive Keith Pelley is also facing questions after it was revealed in court documents filed in Florida that the PGA Tour regarded the European Tour Group as a “borderline distressed asset” during analysis intended to aid a merger between the parties last year.
The tours have pledged to establish a “fair and objective process” for LIV players to re-apply for membership, although resentment over fines and suspensions for playing LIV events without permission remain a bone of contention.
Speaking ahead of this week’s LIV event in Hemel Hempstead, Poulter was therefore asked if it would be easier to start afresh if changes were made.
“It would definitely help,” the former Ryder Cup star said.
“I’m not going to say what those changes have to be, but shall we say there needs to be changes? People need to be accountable for their actions.”
Majesticks team-mate Lee Westwood believes the emergence of LIV has led to more “transparency” in the game and that opinions may be changing as new information comes to light.
“I just think people are better informed now, there’s more transparency in what goes on in all of the golfing organisations,” Westwood said.
“It’s not so much vindication, it’s just that people know the true facts now.
“I didn’t really want to get involved. I’m just a golfer at the end of the day, the politics of it all and the way tours are run is kind of above my pay grade, but it is nice to see it down in black and white what’s been going on.”
Asked if he felt tempted to say ‘I told to you so’ to those who spoke out against LIV when it launched, Westwood added: “No, not really.
“I think we’re happy within the position and the choices we’ve made and then it’s up to everybody else to form an opinion on it. Now it’s an informed opinion.
“There’s a lot of people now looking like hypocrites. You’ve seen what people are saying in the press and now they’re backtracking. He (Monahan) has even admitted himself he’s going to look hypocritical.
“We don’t even have to say it any more. We knew it at the time about sponsors on the PGA Tour.
“He sat in front of the RBC sign when they [RBC] did the deal for Aramco to go public and make all that money from Saudi Arabia and the next minute he’s mentioning 9/11 families and stuff like that. It’s really uncomfortable to watch now.”
Cicero’s Gift could be in line for an outing at the Qatar Goodwood Festival as he bids to bounce back from a first defeat at Royal Ascot.
Charlie Hills’ talented colt created a taking impression when winning his first three starts in great style, earning himself a crack at the Group One St James’s Palace Stakes on the opening day of the Royal meeting.
However, his first foray into deep waters proved unsuccessful and he was unable to showcase his true ability when seeing his challenge constantly hindered from a low draw.
His handler remains confident he has a horse with a progressive profile on his hands and is considering his next move for the 109-rated colt, with Goodwood’s Group Three Thoroughbred Stakes an option as well a further drop in grade to Listed level.
“He’s a really nice horse,” said Hills.
“He was a bit slow away and I think experience counted in the race. They went very fast for the first four furlongs and I think it just caught him out a little bit and then from that low draw, he just couldn’t get a run off that rail.
“We never got to see the full potential of him that day and we will see where we go with him now. I’m keen to give him a little break and then come back for something like the Thoroughbred Stakes at Goodwood which could be a good spot for him.
“He’s rated 109 and already up to a good rating, but I would love to find him a Listed race or something just to perhaps get him winning again and then work him back up.
“I see no reason why he wouldn’t get a mile and a quarter in time and he’s going to make a lovely four-year-old.”
Also poised for an appearance on the Sussex Downs is stable stalwart Pogo, who could attempt to better than last year’s third in the Lennox Stakes following his brave effort at Newmarket in the Criterion Stakes.
The forward-going seven-year-old was beaten only half a length in the Goodwood Group Two 12 months ago and Hills sees the £180,000 event as the ideal next port of call.
“He ran really well and I was delighted with him,” said Hills.
“I think he deserves a bit of a break now after two quick runs and he’s in the Lennox Stakes which gives us about a month and is good timing.
“He wasn’t beaten too far in the race last year, he ran a huge race there, so that will probably where he goes next and there’s great prize money.”
Britain’s Jodie Burrage endured a nightmare Centre Court debut as she tumbled out of Wimbledon at the hands of Daria Kasatkina.
The 24-year-old arrived with high hopes after reaching the Nottingham final last month and then knocking out Caty McNally on Monday for her first win at a grand slam and a likely place in the top 100.
But she found herself staring down the barrel of a humiliating ‘double-bagel’ in the second round after dropping the first set without winning a game.
Burrage recovered her composure in the second set but Russian Kasatkina, the Eastbourne finalist and 11th seed, proved too strong in a resounding 6-0 6-2 victory.
The British number two was bound to be nervous on her first appearance on Centre Court, and unfortunately it showed.
She won just three points in the opening four games, double-faulting three times to give Kasatkina a 4-0 lead.
Burrage brought up a break point in the next but a slip on the baseline proved costly and before she knew it the first set was over in 19 chastening minutes.
Kasatkina held again at the start of the second before Burrage finally got on the board, raising her arms in mock celebration in front of David Beckham in the Royal Box.
Bear Grylls, also watching from the posh seats, would have enjoyed the survival skills on display as Burrage went on to clinch a break of serve to lead 2-1.
But she was unable to hold serve before a rain delay and, despite some admirable resistance upon the resumption, Kasatkina clinically closed out the match in exactly one hour.
Formula One bosses have announced the longest calendar in the sport’s history with a record-breaking 24 races scheduled for next season.
The campaign will open on a Saturday in Bahrain on March 2 and end more than 10 months later in Abu Dhabi on December 8.
The British Grand Prix will take place at Silverstone on July 7, avoiding a clash with the men’s Wimbledon final, and the concluding day of golf’s Open Championship at Royal Troon.
The Chinese Grand Prix in Shanghai is also pencilled in for its first F1 race since 2019.
F1 races traditionally take place on a Sunday, but next year’s schedule kicks off with back-to-back Saturday night races, first in Bahrain and then in Saudi Arabia, to accommodate Ramadan.
F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali said: “There is huge interest and continued demand for Formula One, and I believe this calendar strikes the right balance between traditional races and new and existing venues.
“Our journey to a more sustainable calendar will continue in the coming years as we further streamline operations as part of our Net Zero 2030 commitment.
“We have plenty of racing to look forward to in 2023, including the inaugural Las Vegas Grand Prix, and our fans can look forward to more excitement next season.”
2024 Formula One CalendarMarch 2 – Bahrain Grand Prix (Sakhir)
March 9 – Saudi Arabian Grand Prix (Jeddah)
March 24 – Australian Grand Prix (Melbourne)
April 7 – Japanese Grand Prix (Suzuka)
April 21 – Chinese Grand Prix (Shanghai)
May 5 – Miami Grand Prix (Miami)
May 19 – Emilia Romagna Grand Prix (Imola)
May 26 – Monaco Grand Prix (Monte Carlo)
June 9 – Canadian Grand Prix (Montreal)
June 23 – Spanish Grand Prix (Barcelona)
June 30 – Austrian Grand Prix (Spielberg)
July 7 – British Grand Prix (Silverstone)
July 21 – Hungarian Grand Prix (Hungaroring)
July 28 – Belgian Grand Prix (Spa-Francorchamps)
August 25 – Dutch Grand Prix (Zandvoort)
September 1 – Italian Grand Prix (Monza)
September 15 – Azerbaijan Grand Prix (Baku)
September 22 – Singapore Grand Prix (Marina Bay)
October 20 – United States Grand Prix (Austin)
October 27 – Mexico City Grand Prix (Mexico City)
November 3 – Brazilian Grand Prix (Interlagos)
November 23 – Las Vegas Grand Prix (Las Vegas)
December 1 – Qatar Grand Prix (Lusail)
December 8 – Abu Dhabi Grand Prix (Yas Marina)
Wimbledon became the latest major sporting event targeted by protesters after two people wearing Just Stop Oil T-shirts ran on to Court 18 on the third day of the Championships.
The first-round match between Sho Shimabukuro and Grigor Dimitrov was suspended after two protesters got onto the grass court and threw orange confetti glitter on to the surface.
“Just Stop Oil supporters have disrupted the Wimbledon Tennis Championships,” a statement from the climate activists read.
“At around 14:10 two Just Stop Oil supporters ran on to Court 18, disrupting the match between Sho Shimabukuro and Grigor Dimitrov.
“The supporters threw environmentally-friendly orange confetti glitter and jigsaw pieces on to the courts, before being removed. Play was briefly delayed whilst marshals picked up the pieces.”
Deborah Wilde, 68, a retired teacher from London, who was one of the protesters who ran on the court, said: “I’m just an ordinary grandmother in resistance to this government’s policy of serving us new oil and gas licences. In normal circumstances this sort of disruption would be entirely unacceptable, but these aren’t normal circumstances.
“We’ve just had the hottest June on record, breaking the previous record by nearly a whole degree. We don’t need Hawk-eye to see that our government issuing over 100 new fossil fuel licences is a very bad line-call.
“Forget strawberries and cream, scientists are warning of impending food shortages, mass displacement and war. We are facing new pandemics, economic inflation and increasingly authoritarian governments who will attempt to crush civil unrest.
“This is a crisis and it needs a crisis response. I want a safe future, not just for my grandchildren but for all children around the world and the generations to come.”
The other Just Stop Oil protester who invaded Court 18 at Wimbledon was Simon Milner-Edwards, 66, a retired musician, from Manchester.
He said: “I’m here for my grandchildren and everybody else’s. I’m not prepared to let our politicians wreck everything and leave the next generation to pick up the pieces.
“The last thing I want to do is spoil people’s enjoyment of Wimbledon, but right now, on Centre Court, it’s humanity versus oil and gas – and the umpire is getting every call wrong.
“How long are we going to take this before we see a McEnroe-level meltdown?”
Wimbledon became the latest major sporting event targeted by protesters after two people wearing Just Stop Oil T-shirts ran on to Court 18 on the third day of the Championships.
The first-round match between Sho Shimabukuro and Grigor Dimitrov was suspended after two protesters got onto the grass court and threw orange confetti glitter on to the surface.
“Just Stop Oil supporters have disrupted the Wimbledon Tennis Championships,” a statement from the climate activist read.
“At around 14:10 two Just Stop Oil supporters ran onto Court 18, disrupting the match between Sho Shimabukuro and Grigor Dimitrov.
“The supporters threw environmentally-friendly orange confetti glitter and jigsaw pieces onto the courts, before being removed. Play was briefly delayed whilst marshals picked up the pieces.”
Joseph O’Brien-trained pair Al Riffa and Above The Curve could be bound for Deauville this summer following their respective runs at the Curragh last weekend.
The former won the Group One Vincent O’Brien National Stakes as a two-year-old and had Classic aspirations in the early part of his three-year-old season. But with a setback delaying his return, he made his comeback following a 293-day absence in the International Stakes on Saturday.
Sent off the 5-6 favourite for the 10-furlong Group Three, the son of Wootton Bassett was unable to catch the front-running and match-fit Mashhoor, who was given an enterprising ride by Ben Coen.
However, O’Brien believes there are plenty of positives to take from the run and having blown away the cobwebs during that first try at a mile and a quarter, the handler is now looking forward to his next outing.
“He got on nicely and we were pleased to get him started for the season,” said O’Brien.
“We’re looking forward to the rest of the season with him. He has a couple of Group One and Group Two options, we’re looking at a Group Two in Deauville in August as potentially his next start. I think he will most likely stay at 10 furlongs for now.”
Meanwhile, the ever-consistent Above The Curve finished a creditable third in the Pretty Polly Stakes that also featured on Saturday’s Curragh card.
The Coolmore-owned daughter of American Pharoah was up with the pace throughout when having to give way in the closing stages to improving British raiders Via Sistina and Stay Alert and could now seek her third win on French soil in the Prix Jean Romanet on August 20.
“She ran a good race and has come out of the Pretty Polly well,” said O’Brien.
“We’re looking at things like the Romanet and other races like that going forward. She has a lot of options there (France) and further afield as well.”
The Owning Hill handler also delivered a positive bulletin about his Royal Ascot heroes Okita Soushi and Dawn Rising, who both have further big-race assignments on their agendas.
“Both are in good shape and Dawn Rising will be considered for races like the Cesarewitch later in the season. Okita Soushi has an option in the Curragh Cup.”
Westover will be aided by a pacemaker when he bids to get back on the winning trail in the Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud on Saturday.
Last year’s Irish Derby hero has twice come off second best in Group Ones this year, chasing home Japanese superstar Equinox in the Dubai Sheema Classic before filling the runner-up spot behind Emily Upjohn in the Coronation Cup at Epsom.
The four-year-old will head to France this weekend in a bid to double his top-level tally and will be joined by fellow Juddmonte-owned runner Malabu Drive, who recently joined Beckett having previously been trained in Ireland by Ger Lyons.
Of Westover, the trainer told Sky Sports Racing: “He looks well and I’m happy with him – he’s ready to go again.
“We didn’t want to get caught back on a slow gallop, so that’s what he (Malabu Drive) is there for and Dougie Costello will ride him.
“Saint-Cloud is a very fair track and a galloping track, which is obviously a positive for Westover.
“I think we might have gone a different route if he’d won the Coronation Cup – I was always quite keen to drop him back to 10 furlongs for the Eclipse if that had happened, but it didn’t, so we’re going to Paris instead.
“With a pacemaker to ensure a nice, even gallop, that will not only help the pace of the race, it will give Westover something to aim at, so that will help as well.”
While hesitant to make any plans beyond the weekend, Beckett confirmed a second tilt at the King George VI And Queen Elizabeth Qipco Stakes at Ascot on July 29 remains under consideration.
The Frankel colt was a disappointing favourite for the midsummer showpiece last season when he was far too keen to do himself justice and Beckett admits his exuberance is something that needs to be managed.
“It is always going to be there a little bit. He’s never going to change in that sense, it’ll just get a little better as he gets older,” the trainer added.
“It’s part of his make-up. He did it before the Derby, he was exuberant to post in the Irish Derby and the same for the Arc. In all three races he ran well, equally in Dubai. It’s just him.
“We’ve got enough time to run at Ascot if it goes well on Saturday and that will certainly be in our thinking
“I don’t have a strong view about what happens after Saturday, it’s only Saturday I’m concentrating on at the moment.”
The Kimpton Downs handler is set to be represented in the two Group One races at next week’s July Festival at Newmarket, with Remarquee and Prosperous Voyage both confirmed as intended runners for Friday’s Falmouth Stakes and Kinross in line for the July Cup on Saturday.
With regular partner Frankie Dettori suspended, Kinross requires a new rider following his seventh place in the Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes and Beckett has gone for a super-sub.
“William Buick will ride him and he’s in good shape,” he confirmed.
“He saw too much daylight at Ascot, he was too prominent from the outset. He’s a horse better running at horses rather than them coming to him.
“He still ran well and I’ve always wanted to run him in the July Cup. I would have run him in it last year if it had been slower ground and this time I’m not fussed – I think he’s older and hardier and will handle it now.”
A confident Jamaican team left the island on Sunday afternoon, for the Cayman Islands to compete in the 35th Caribbean Amateur Junior Golf Championships.
Coaches Jonathan Newnham and Jason Lopez were upbeat about the team's chances to win the championship.
“The team is great. We have representation in every category,” Newnham said of the team that had encouraging practice rounds on Tuesday ahead of Wednesday’s start to the tournament.
“We have quite a few experienced (players) and most of the team have played there before. We have a few new guys but we have been training with them and welcoming them with open arms so we are looking forward to the challenge.
“Cayman, I have a lot of personal familiarity with it and the course should be a good fit for our players so I am excited by the challenge ahead."
Coach Lopez supported that position saying, "We have a good team so I think that myself and coach Johnny are going to really do everything we can to get them across the finish line this time."
Team co-captain Mattea Issa was happy to take on the additional responsibility.
"It feels good to be co-captain (and) all the responsibilities that come with it and I am going to help the team as much as I can to put our best foot forward to try and get the best results possible,” she said.
“As far as competing in the Under 18 age group - the big guns now, being 16, I still have two more years in this age group so I am just hoping to do my best and not think about expectations or pressure and just compete as calmly as possible."
Samantha Azan is one of two age-group defending champions having won the U15 Girls trophy and the Kenneth Francis Trophy last year – the first time ever for a Jamaican player.
"This is my last year in this category. It was definitely a struggle but I pushed through to the very last hole last time. I have been training really hard with my coaches in both Florida and Jamaica so I am pretty confident but then again the course conditions are very different compared to what I am used to, so I am going to do my best.”
Meanwhile, Davin Hogan, the only new member of team says he is looking forward to the experience.
“I have never done this before and it'll be new for me and hopefully it will be a good experience for everybody."
The Jamaicans are set to take on players from The Bahamas, Barbados, Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, Trinidad & Tobago, Turks and Caicos, and host country, the Cayman Islands.
Tournament organisers were presented with more scheduling headaches after another hour and a half was lost due to rain at Wimbledon on Wednesday.
All play on the outside courts was washed out just after midday on Tuesday, which led to 87 matches being scheduled on day three in a bid to clear the backlog of matches.
But more inclement weather arrived at 10.30am, just 30 minutes before play was due to get under way, meaning there was no action before 12.30pm.
The dark clouds were replaced with blue skies at lunchtime, but it is almost certain that a number of matches will be cancelled later in the day, leaving the tournament playing catch-up for the next few days.
There are still some matches that were initially scheduled for Monday that have yet to be played, while a number of matches that started on Tuesday also need to be finished.
Only eight matches were completed on Tuesday with all of the Centre Court and Court One schedule played under the roof.
A Jamaica U17 basketball team left the island on Tuesday for the USA to compete in the Marquee Hoops NCAA sanctioned AAU (Amateur Athletic Union) tournament which will take place from July 5-7 in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.
According to head of delegation Wayne Dawkins, this is an extraordinary milestone for Jamaica’s basketball as it is the first time that a youth basketball team from Jamaica has been invited to compete in an AAU tournament in America.
The trip was organized by Dawkins of P.H.A.S.E. 1 Academy and technical director/head coach of Jamaica's Under 17 team. He will be joined by a coaching staff of Dave Black, Phil Edwards and Rohan Ferguson.
The team will use the opportunity to gain valuable development experience as well as help to prepare the selected players who will represent Jamaica in the FIBA Centro Basket Championship in Belize from July 25 to 30.
The 15 players were selected from P.H.A.S.E. 1 Academy players as well as members of the Jamaica U17 training cohort from the four training regions across the island.
The selected players are:
St. James - Kamau Dennis, Joshua Ferguson, Nathan Thompson, Christian Andom, Gabrielle Scalamana, Alexander Corrodus and Nyle McCalla.
Manchester - Elijah Smeike and Johnathan Beckford.
St. Catherine - Ajani Walters
Kingston - Shaquayne Elliot, Antoine Daye, Joel Hamm, Zachery Smith and Kyro McCalla.
Michael Tabor, co-owner of dual Derby winner Auguste Rodin, feels a drop down to 10 furlongs for the Juddmonte International will feature “high on the agenda” for the colt, with the Breeders’ Cup Classic also a possibility at the end of the season.
A rare son of late Japanese champion Deep Impact, Auguste Rodin gave trainer Aidan O’Brien his 100th European Classic win when Ryan Moore’s mount downed stablemate Adelaide River in the Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby at the Curragh on Sunday.
Owned in partnership with John and Susan Magnier, Derrick Smith and Georg von Opel’s Westerberg racing operation, Tabor’s famous royal blue and orange disk silks had previously been carried to victory at Epsom.
To some observers, his latest length-and-a-half success was unconvincing, a view Tabor agrees with.
He said: “I do think it is fair that people say he was only workmanlike. It wasn’t the fastest pace in the world, which didn’t suit him and when he hits the front, he only just does enough.
“I think and hope you’ll see a lot better horse when he runs next, let’s put it that way.
“Only time will tell, but people are right when they look at it, they were not impressed and that was the way it was.”
Having been the first horse since Harzand in 2016 to follow up victory in the Epsom blue riband, Auguste Rodin is a general 9-4 favourite to win the King George VI And Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Ascot on July 29.
While the prospect of a second clash with Epsom runner-up and subsequent King Edward VII Stakes winner King Of Steel and last year’s Derby hero Desert Crown looks a mouthwatering prospect, Tabor feels the three-year-old has the speed to drop back in trip.
He added: “He could go down in trip if it presents itself, but at the moment, if you go forward, what is he going to run in? If you do go down in trip, what race would he run in?
“The Juddmonte International would obviously be on the agenda. The Breeders’ Cup Classic is a shot to nothing – that’s a tough one – but certainly the Juddmonte is high on the agenda.
“It’s a difficult call, but how long is it between the King George and the Juddmonte? It is about three and a half weeks (25 days). It’s enough time (for both races), I should think.
“Aidan knows what to do with the horses, but I would think that is a distinct possibility.
“He’s fast enough for 10 furlongs and the Breeders’ Cup is a possibility, for sure.”
The last member of Jamaica’s nine-member team departed the island on Monday for the World English Sporting Clay Championship set to commence at the E.J. Churchill Shooting Ground in England on Wednesday, July 5 and end on Saturday, July 8.
Jamaica had its best results in 2022 when the women’s team finished third and the men’s came fourth, marking the first time that a team from the island took a spot on the podium.
The women’s team is comprised of national shotgun champion Wendy McMaster, Aliana McMaster and Abigail McMaster, who are hoping to at least equal their third-place finish.
Craig Simpson (captain), Ryan Chen (vice-captain), Ray McMaster, Robert Yap-Foo, Gordon Bucknor and Lennin Thompson, make up the men’s team.
The team is a mixture of experience and new members with Simpson, who has been competing in the championship since the early 2000s, being the most experienced.
“We are enthusiastic to be attending this prestigious event. My job as captain is to motivate my teammates while keeping them composed,” Simpson said.
“This trip is about gaining international exposure and knowledge of where the sport is at on the European continent and how we can get Jamaica to a higher level of competitiveness. The fraternity is excited to have us in attendance and our participation alone is a win for Jamaica."
Sponsors Proven, Hawkeye, Coldwell Bankers, National Bakery, Ammar's and BarePelt are backing the Jamaicans, who will be going up against teams from the USA, Ireland, Northern Ireland, Scotland, England, Wales, Mexico, Italy and Sweden.
Lewis Hamilton and Co will this week descend on Silverstone for the British Grand Prix.
Here, the PA news agency looks at five key races staged at the Northamptonshire venue.
1987
Nigel Mansell was forced to pit for a new set of tyres after reporting vibrations on his Williams. With 30 laps remaining he was the best part of half-a-minute behind his team-mate and fierce rival Nelson Piquet.
The chase appeared impossible but, spurred on by his home crowd, Mansell smashed the lap record on nine occasions before catching and passing Piquet after an exquisite move at Stowe with only two laps left.
The home crowd were euphoric and Mansell responded by leaping out of his Williams and kissing the tarmac.
1994
Michael Schumacher illegally overtook pole-sitter Damon Hill on the parade lap and was punished with a stop-and-go penalty – which he ignored.
He was issued with a black flag – which should have resulted in his instant disqualification – but Schumacher kept driving before serving his stop-and-go punishment on lap 27.
Hill went on to claim a crucial victory and was presented the winner’s trophy by Princess Diana. Schumacher finished second, but he was later disqualified and banned for two races.
1998
Schumacher was at the centre of controversy four years later after winning – while stationary in the pit-lane.
Mika Hakkinen led from the start, but as the rain fell and conditions deteriorated, the Finn lost control of his McLaren and spun.
The safety car was deployed, and while Hakkinen remained in the race, he had sustained damage to his front wing. His 40-second lead was wiped out and Schumacher looked odds-on to win.
However, Schumacher had illegally passed Alexander Wurz under a yellow flag, which resulted in a stop-and-go penalty. But the haphazard stewards only announced his punishment with two laps left.
At the end of the final lap, Schumacher entered the pits to serve his penalty, but had already crossed the start-finish line and won the race. The bizarre result stood despite McLaren’s protests.
2008
Lewis Hamilton arrived at his home race fourth in the drivers’ standings but left on top after storming to victory in one of his outstanding performances.
In torrential rain, Hamilton blitzed the field, finishing the race almost 70 seconds ahead of second-placed Nick Heidfeld and lapped the entire pack up to third. Hamilton’s championship rival Felipe Massa spun five times.
2021
Hamilton sent Max Verstappen into the wall at Copse following a devastating 180mph collision.
Verstappen was taken to hospital with concussion, while Hamilton was hit with a 10-second penalty.
Hamilton served his punishment and fought back through the field, passing Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc in the final laps to take a remarkable, if not controversial, victory.
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