Ice hockey is not a household sport in the United Kingdom but the recent success of the Great Britain side and EIHL teams such as the Cardiff Devils and Belfast Giants has helped to raise the profile of the sport on this side of the Atlantic Ocean.
However, the NHL remains the cream of the crop. Every young ice hockey player dreams of making it in the National Hockey League, though the NHL betting odds for being drafted to one of the competition’s teams are very slim indeed.
The Stanley Cup is the ultimate objective for any NHL star. Winning ice hockey’s top prize is no easy feat though – in fact, it is one of the most unpredictable leagues in sport. Only one NHL team has managed to retain the Stanley Cup since 1999.
With the 2019/20 campaign on hold for the time being, future ice hockey bets are popular with punters. NHL fans will be keeping a close eye on the latest ice hockey news, tips and odds ahead of the postseason.
Fancy yourself as a big ice hockey fan? Get involved with our NHL teams quiz now and see whether you can beat the clock. Naming the teams is easy enough but only hardcore NHL betting fans will be able to complete this ice hockey quiz in record time!
Time for the answers…
Eastern Conference
Atlantic Division:
Boston Bruins
Buffalo Sabres
Detroit Red Wings
Florida Panthers
Montreal Canadiens
Ottawa Senators
Tampa Bay Lightning
Toronto Maple Leafs
Metropolitan Division:
Carolina Hurricanes
Columbus Blue Jackets
New Jersey Devils
New York Islanders
New York Rangers
Philadelphia Flyers
Pittsburgh Penguins
Washington Capitals
Western Conference
Central Division:
Chicago Blackhawks
Colorado Avalanche
Dallas Stars
Minnesota Wild
Nashville Predators
St. Louis Blues
Winnipeg Jets
Pacific Division:
Anaheim Ducks
Arizona Coyotes
Calgary Flames
Edmonton Oilers
Los Angeles Kings
San Jose Sharks
Vancouver Canucks
Vegas Golden Knights
*Credit for the main photo belongs to Terry Renna / AP Photo*
Alex is a sports betting tipster, specialising in Premier League football, the Champions League and horse racing.
He loves placing a weekly accumulator on the football at the weekend and dreams of landing the big winner that will take him back to Las Vegas.
As well as writing sports betting tips for 888sport since 2015, Alex has produced content for several international media companies, such as Goal.com and The SPORTBible.
Baseball is incredibly popular in the United States but it remains a relatively unknown quantity around the world. Despite this, Major League Baseball has gone international in recent times, with the MLB London Series a roaring success in 2019.
Winning the World Series is the ultimate goal for any baseball player and you don’t need to be the biggest fan in the world to understand the general concept of the sport. However, you will need to know your shortstop from your centre fielder to succeed at this quiz.
Naming every MLB team will come naturally to hardcore baseball fans but can you beat the clock? Put your baseball knowledge to the test with our latest Sporcle quiz – only the fastest Major League Baseball fans will prevail.
The latest online MLB betting odds show the Los Angeles Dodgers at 15/4 to win the World Series this season after back-to-back series defeats in 2017 and 2018. The road to baseball’s top prize will be bumpy but the Dodgers are talented enough to go the distance.
Time for the answers…
American League
AL East:
Baltimore Orioles
Boston Red Sox
New York Yankees
Tampa Bay Rays
Toronto Blue Jays
AL Central:
Chicago White Sox
Cleveland Indians
Detroit Tigers
Kansas City Royals
Minnesota Twins
AL West:
Houston Astros
Los Angeles Angels
Oakland Athletics
Seattle Mariners
Texas Rangers
National League
NL East:
Atlanta Braves
Miami Marlins
New York Mets
Philadelphia Phillies
Washington Nationals
NL Central:
Chicago Cubs
Cincinnati Reds
Milwaukee Brewers
Pittsburgh Pirates
St. Louis Cardinals
NL West:
Arizona Diamondbacks
Colorado Rookies
Los Angeles Dodgers
San Diego Padres
San Francisco Giants
*Credit for the main photo belongs to Matt Slocum / AP Photo*
Alex is a sports betting tipster, specialising in Premier League football, the Champions League and horse racing.
He loves placing a weekly accumulator on the football at the weekend and dreams of landing the big winner that will take him back to Las Vegas.
As well as writing sports betting tips for 888sport since 2015, Alex has produced content for several international media companies, such as Goal.com and The SPORTBible.
The Premier League is worldwide. There are players and fan groups from every continent, its popularity all over the planet is what sports leagues aspire to.
Other leagues are looking to replicate what the Premier League has achieved, and that includes the NBA.
Despite being a fringe sport in the UK, basketball is one of the biggest in the world.
Depending on the criteria used, it tends to rank somewhere between second and seventh. Total Sportek have it second with over one billion followers.
International players have become more common since Hank Biasatti became the first in 1946 - he only played one NBA season.
The four that followed Biasatti also only survived a lone campaign in the league, and it wasn’t until the 1980s that international players became legitimate stars.
Dominique Wilkins, Patrick Ewing and Hakeem Olajuwon were among the best players in the league, and all three are in the Hall of Fame.
High-profile busts led to prejudice against international players in some quarters. The memory of Darko Milicic, who the Pistons took over Dwyane Wade and Carmelo Anthony, frightened front offices.
Hasheem Thabeet, once compared to Dikembe Mutombo, played for four teams in five seasons, registering just 2.2 points per game.
Swinging and missing on an international prospect did more damage than the same outcome on an American. Olajuwon and Wilkins sparked progress in that regard, but each flop fed the underlying concerns about international players.
For those playing abroad before the draft, there was the added issue of scouting.
Video wasn’t readily available through the 1990s, contributing to Tony Parker and Dirk Nowitzki falling to 28th in the 2001 draft and ninth in the 1998 draft respectively. Teams were drafting with less information.
Nowitzki is one of five international players to have won MVP, along with Parker’s long-time teammate Tim Duncan, Steve Nash, Olajuwon, and Giannis Antetokounmpo, who is the NBA betting online favourite to make it two in two in 2020.
Duncan, Parker and Manu Ginobili anchored one of the greatest NBA dynasties. The 21st century has seen a marked change, the post-Jordan era of the NBA has expanded far beyond the shores of North America.
45 international players started their NBA careers in the 1980s, that number was 82 in the 1990s and 193 in the noughties. It has shot up further in the 2010s, with 108 players on NBA rosters at the start of the 2019/20 season.
Having more foreign players increases interest abroad. Previous overseas stars had that impact - the influence of Nowitzki in Europe cannot be overstated.
Joel Embiid and Pascal Siakam can inspire a generation of African youngsters, Luka Doncic is looking to follow Nowitzki’s footsteps, and Ben Simmons may be one of Australia’s best sporting exports. Foreign players feed wide-reaching growth.
While LeBron James remains King for now, the NBA has a bright future, and that’s largely down to the influence of international players.
Photo credit: Rusty Costanza / AP Photo
There’s a succession plan, a collection of supreme talents from all over the planet, and that’s before we touch on the next American stars like Zion Williamson and Jayson Tatum.
As many as three international players could slot into first team All-NBA for this season.
There are a lot of variables on how the league develops, but it’s not far fetched to suggest a future where international players make up half or more of the top 10 players in the league.
Antetokounmpo and Doncic are already at that level, Embiid and Jokic are there or thereabouts. Siakam, Karl-Anthony Towns and Simmons aren’t far off.
It isn’t just about those appearing in the NBA All-Star Game either.
Plenty of the league’s best role players are from outside the US, and the prejudice, particularly against European players, is starting to wane, though it played a part in Doncic going third overall behind Deandre Ayton and Marvin Bagley.
The Premier League’s progression wasn’t identical, but the increase in percentage of overseas players in the NBA is similar to what the Premier League went through in its early years.
It started with stars making the breakthrough in the NBA, with the best international players proving their ability as All-Stars.
There are plenty of that calibre now, and dozens more who have developed significant NBA careers, earning millions and helping their teams win games.
It’s no revolution, but the NBA is changing. There’s a chicken-and-egg situation with international fandom and international players.
The next generation of superstars, the players who can succeed LeBron James and Steph Curry, features more international players than not, and that can only be a positive for the growth of the league.
Doncic, Embiid, Jokic and Siakam will lead the way. The American force will still be strong, but there’s a cluster of stars ready to challenge for MVPs in the 2020s.
They are all capable of joining Antetokounmpo, Nowitzki, Olajuwon, Duncan and Nash.
Teams with few British players have been commonplace in the Premier League for well over a decade. The NBA is a long trek from such overseas dominance, but it is on a similar path.
Antetokounmpo, Doncic and others will inspire the next generation of international players, just as Olajuwon and Nowitzki did. Who knows what the balance between American and international NBA players will be in 10 or 20 years’ time.
If the Premier League is anything to go by, the NBA could come under pressure to bring through American stars if overseas talents dominate through the next couple of decades.
Internationalisation can only be a good thing for a league, increasing revenues and improving the standard.
It isn’t such good news for those in charge of USA basketball, particularly following a quarter-final exit at the FIBA World Cup.
888sport is the place to be for basketball bets, tips and news!
*Credit for the main photo belongs to Charles Krupa / AP Photo*
Sam is a sports tipster, specialising in the Premier League and Champions League.
He covers most sports, including cricket and Formula One. Sam particularly enjoys those on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean – notably MLB and NBA.
Watching, writing and talking about sports betting takes up most of his time, whether that is for a day out at T20 Finals Day or a long night of basketball.
Having been writing for several years, Sam has been working with 888Sport since 2016, contributing multiple articles per week to the blog.
With the 2020 NFL Draft taking place in April, hype and excitement is building ahead of the upcoming National Football League season.
The road to Super Bowl LV begins in September and all 32 American football teams will be dreaming of reaching the sport’s biggest event.
888sport are already giving punters a chance to bet on NFL ahead of the new season – with Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers likely to be well-fancied outsiders.
Super Bowl LV will take place at Raymond James Stadium and it would be fitting if the Bucs go all the way…
We have a range of NFL quizzes available on our blog, along with the latest betting tips, odds and news on American football.
Follow 888sport for the biggest NFL updates – both in the United States and regarding the NFL International Series.
The Buccaneers are a good starting point for our latest NFL quiz.
Can you beat the clock and name every NFL team in less than five minutes? Scroll down to put your American football betting and gridiron knowledge to the test!
Time for the answers…
American Football Conference
AFC North:
Baltimore Ravens
Cincinnati Bengals
Photo credit: Bryan Woolston / AP Photo
Cleveland Browns
Pittsburgh Steelers
AFC East:
Buffalo Bills
Miami Dolphins
New England Patriots
New York Jets
AFC South:
Houston Texans
Indianapolis Colts
Photo credit: Phelan M. Ebenhack / AP Photo
Jacksonville Jaguars
Tennessee Titans
AFC West:
Denver Broncos
Kansas City Chiefs
Las Vegas Raiders
Los Angeles Chargers
National Football Conference
NFC North:
Chicago Bears
Detroit Lions
Photo credit: Duane Burleson / AP Photo
Green Bay Packers
Minnesota Vikings
NFC East:
Dallas Cowboys
New York Giants
Philadelphia Eagles
Washington Redskins
NFC South:
Atlanta Falcons
Carolina Panthers
Photo credit: Brian Blanco / AP Photo
New Orleans Saints
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
NFC West:
Arizona Cardinals
Los Angeles Rams
San Francisco 49ers
Seattle Seahawks
*Credit for the main photo belongs to Bill Wippert / AP Photo*
Alex is a sports betting tipster, specialising in Premier League football, the Champions League and horse racing.
He loves placing a weekly accumulator on the football at the weekend and dreams of landing the big winner that will take him back to Las Vegas.
As well as writing sports betting tips for 888sport since 2015, Alex has produced content for several international media companies, such as Goal.com and The SPORTBible.
The NFL Draft is one of the biggest sport events of the year. The best college football stars declare to enter American football’s elite competition and 32 players will be lucky enough to be selected in the first round – which usually means a higher contract down the line.
For those looking to bet on NFL, the Draft will give punters a chance to look at players who may change the entire outlook for a franchise. At the time of writing, Joe Burrow is a 1/100 chance to be taken with the first overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft.
Should the Cincinnati Bengals take Burrow, he will join an exclusive club of stars to be taken with the first overall pick. How many of the other first picks can you name since 1990? We’ll get you started with an easy one – Peyton Manning in the 1998 NFL Draft.
This quiz is NOT for the faint-hearted. Even the most passionate American football betting fan will struggle to name some of these players – an extensive knowledge of the NFL Draft history is required to score highly. Are you up to the task?
If a more general NFL Draft quiz is what you’re looking for, then this one probably isn’t for you. However, if you can score high on this quiz, you’ll score high on every NFL Draft quiz. So what are you waiting for, put your American football knowledge to the test!
Time for the answers…
1990 NFL Draft – Jeff George (Indianapolis Colts)
1991 NFL Draft – Russell Maryland (Dallas Cowboys)
1992 NFL Draft – Steve Emtman (Indianapolis Colts)
1993 NFL Draft – Drew Bledsoe (New England Patriots)
1994 NFL Draft – Dan Wilkinson (Cincinnati Bengals)
1995 NFL Draft – Ki-Jana Carter (Cincinnati Bengals)
Alex is a sports betting tipster, specialising in Premier League football, the Champions League and horse racing.
He loves placing a weekly accumulator on the football at the weekend and dreams of landing the big winner that will take him back to Las Vegas.
As well as writing sports betting tips for 888sport since 2015, Alex has produced content for several international media companies, such as Goal.com and The SPORTBible.
The 2020 Major League Soccer season was just two games old before it was suspended indefinitely – football fans on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean will be hoping that the MLS can return sooner rather than later.
Atlanta United, one of Major League Soccer’s strongest teams in recent years, have a 100% winning record through two games – the only team in the Eastern Conference to win both matches this campaign.
Meanwhile, there are three ‘perfect’ teams in the Western Conference. Colorado Rapids, Sporting Kansas City and Minnesota United have yet to drop points this season and plenty of punters will be keeping a close eye on MLS betting tips and odds.
Naming English Premier League clubs is easy enough for any football fan but can you name every Major League Soccer team in under five minutes? We’ve given you the MLS stadiums, you just need to beat the clock with the team names!
888sport is the place to be for football bets, entertainment and insight. Our range of sports quizzes are growing, exclusive player interviews are aplenty and betting tips on almost every major sport are available. Get involved with 888sport now and #TakeEmOn!
Time for the answers…
Eastern Conference
Atlanta United
Chicago Fire
FC Cincinnati
Columbus Crew
DC United
Inter Miami
Montreal Impact
New England Revolution
New York City FC
New York Red Bulls
Orlando City
Philadelphia Union
Toronto FC
Western Conference
Colorado Rapids
FC Dallas
Houston Dynamo
LA Galaxy
Los Angeles FC
Minnesota United
Nashville SC
Portland Timbers
Real Salt Lake
San Jose Earthquakes
Seattle Sounders
Sporting Kansas City
Vancouver Whitecaps
*Credit for the main photo belongs to Alex Gallardo / AP Photo*
Alex is a sports betting tipster, specialising in Premier League football, the Champions League and horse racing.
He loves placing a weekly accumulator on the football at the weekend and dreams of landing the big winner that will take him back to Las Vegas.
As well as writing sports betting tips for 888sport since 2015, Alex has produced content for several international media companies, such as Goal.com and The SPORTBible.
The NFL Draft takes place every NFL offseason. The weekend of picks is a year-round process, however, with analysts, scouts and general managers preparing to excel with their draft choices throughout the year.
Those who regularly bet on NFL games will keep a keen eye out for the draft, and can always look to place a wager on who will go first overall.
A great year or two in the draft can turn a franchise around, accelerating a rebuild, while a poor run can leave a team in ruins.
NFL fans love a mock draft. Speculating about the draft is a constant process involving days of tape, data and scouting reports. It can be controversial too, with disagreements over how well players will adapt to the NFL.
The 2020 NFL Draft will be different to recent years. There will be no packed venue. Instead, it is a ‘virtual draft’ as teams look to strike gold ahead of the 2020 NFL regular season.
New York has held the most NFL Drafts with 57. Which city has held the second-most?
Which Draft had the most Hall of Famers?
In which year was Patrick Mahomes drafted?
Which team(s) has had the most first overall picks?
In the 21st century, how many first overall picks haven’t been quarterbacks?
Who is the most recent first overall pick to win Rookie of the Year?
Three schools have had five players selected first overall. Two of them are Notre Dame and USC. Which is the other?
Who was the last running back selected first overall?
Shannon Sharpe is a well-known media personality, Pro Bowler and Super Bowl champion, but which team drafted him at the back of the seventh round in 1990?
When was the NFL Draft first televised?
Who did the San Francisco 49ers trade with on draft day in 1985 to acquire Jerry Rice?
The Falcons traded three picks and a player to the Chargers in 2001 for a first-round pick. Which player did they draft?
Troy Aikman won three Super Bowls with the Cowboys, but which school retired his number?
Ryan Leaf is considered one of the worst selections in Draft history. Which pick did the Chargers take him with?
Nick Foles was selected 88th overall in 2012. How many Pro Bowlers were picked after him?
Who was the first Mr Irrelevant to appear in a Super Bowl?
Which team drafted Drew Brees in the second round of the 2001 draft?
Who posted the quickest 40-yard dash time in combine history?
NFL Draft Quiz Answers:
In which round was Tom Brady drafted?
Answer: Sixth round. Selected with the 199th overall pick in 2000, Tom Brady didn’t arrive in the NFL with much excitement after his Michigan career.
Brady proved to be the biggest steal in draft history and is considered by many to be the greatest to play the game.
When was the first ever NFL Draft held?
Answer: 1936. No teams had scouting departments.
99 names were written on a blackboard, a list created by media sources and recommendations to team executives. Jay Berwanger was the first ever NFL Draft pick.
New York has held the most NFL Drafts with 57. Which city has held the second-most?
Answer: Philadelphia. The City of Brotherly Love has hosted the NFL Draft on 15 occasions, the second most in the event’s history.
Its most recent draft was in 2017 at Eakins Oval, having not held it since 1961.
Which Draft had the most Hall of Famers?
Answer: 1964. With 10 Hall of Famers, the 1964 Draft beats the 1957 Draft in this one.
Roger Staubach led the way along with two others drafted by the Dallas Cowboys, and the Cleveland Browns picked up two Hall of Famers in Leroy Kelly and Paul Warfield.
In which year was Patrick Mahomes drafted?
Answer: 2017. Patrick Mahomes was a first-round pick in 2017, but he had to wait until the final game of the regular season for his debut as he watched Alex Smith guide the Kansas City Chiefs to the playoffs.
Which team(s) has had the most first overall picks?
Answer: Indianapolis/Baltimore Colts and the Rams. With seven overall picks, the Colts have had the most in history.
Their most recent came in 2012, when they selected quarterback Andrew Luck, who went on to be selected to four Pro Bowls before his shock retirement in 2019.
The Rams’ most recent first overall pick saw them take Jared Goff in 2016.
In the 21st century, how many first overall picks haven’t been quarterbacks?
Answer: Six. Myles Garrett, Jadeveon Clowney, Eric Fisher, Jake Long, Mario Williams and Courtney Brown were all taken first overall.
Brown is the only one of the six not to be selected to a Pro Bowl.
Who is the most recent first overall pick to win Rookie of the Year?
Answer: Cam Newton. Heisman Trophy winner in 2010, first overall pick and Rookie of the Year in 2011, Cam Newton was an immediate superstar in the NFL.
Can he rebuild his career after leaving the Panthers?
Three schools have had five players selected first overall. Two of them are Notre Dame and USC. Which is the other?
Answer: Oklahoma. Notre Dame and USC led the way until 2019 when Kyler Murray’s selection brought Oklahoma up to five, too.
Who was the last running back selected first overall?
Answer: Ki-Jana Carter. Taken by the Cincinnati Bengals from Penn State in 1995, Carter’s career was cut short by an ACL injury with just over 1000 rushing yards to his name.
Shannon Sharpe is a well-known media personality, Pro Bowler and Super Bowl champion, but which team drafted him at the back of the seventh round in 1990?
Answer: Denver Broncos. Sharpe was a true Draft steal and stayed with Denver until 2000. He had a brief spell with the Ravens before returning to the Broncos.
When was the draft first televised?
Answer: 1980. The development of the draft into an event watched by millions started in 1980, when it was broadcast live for the first time.
Who did the San Francisco 49ers trade with on draft day in 1985 to acquire Jerry Rice?
Answer: New England Patriots. The Niners flipped the 28th pick, along with their second and third-round selections, to take the 16th overall pick and the Pats’ third-round selection.
San Francisco took Jerry Rice 16th overall, who became one of the greatest to step on the gridiron.
The Falcons traded three picks and a player to the Chargers in 2001 for a first-round pick. Which player did they draft?
Answer: Michael Vick. The Falcons traded up four spots to draft Michael Vick, sending the Chargers their own first-round pick, their second rounder and a 2002 third rounder along with Tim Dwight.
Troy Aikman won three Super Bowls with the Cowboys, but which school retired his number?
Answer: UCLA. Aikman transferred to UCLA from Oklahoma, becoming a Heisman finalist and going first overall in 1989.
Ryan Leaf is considered one of the worst selections in Draft history. Which pick did the Chargers take him with?
Answer: Second overall. Leaf was taken one pick after Peyton Manning, and many fancied him to be a star.
It didn’t turn out that way, and the Chargers were left wondering what could have been.
Nick Foles was selected 88th overall in 2012. How many Pro Bowlers were picked after him?
Answer: 11. Kirk Cousins, Greg Zuerlein, Josh Norman and Akiem Hicks were four of the 11 selected after Foles in what turned out to be a deep draft.
Who was the first Mr Irrelevant to appear in a Super Bowl?
Answer: Marty Moore. The shortening of the draft gave each Mr Irrelevant a better chance of succeeding.
oore became the first to appear in a Super Bowl as the Patriots lost to the Packers in 1997.
Which team drafted Drew Brees in the second round of the 2001 NFL Draft?
Answer: San Diego Chargers. Better known for his time on the Saints, the Chargers picked up Brees in 2001 as he established himself as an elite quarterback.
Who posted the quickest 40-yard dash time in combine history?
Answer: John Ross. A receiver out of Washington, Ross registered 4.22 in 2017 and was picked ninth overall by the Bengals.
Let us know how you got on and have a go at our Super Bowl quiz too!
*Credit for the main photo belongs to Jason DeCrow / AP Photo*
Sam is a sports tipster, specialising in the Premier League and Champions League.
He covers most sports, including cricket and Formula One. Sam particularly enjoys those on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean – notably MLB and NBA.
Watching, writing and talking about sports betting takes up most of his time, whether that is for a day out at T20 Finals Day or a long night of basketball.
Having been writing for several years, Sam has been working with 888Sport since 2016, contributing multiple articles per week to the blog.
Australia is a major powerhouse when it comes to horse racing and there are almost 400 racecourses in total dotted around the country. These racecourses fall into three distinct categories - Metropolitan, Provincial or Country racetracks.
Metropolitan racecourses are the home of the big Group races and are premier venues with the best facilities. Provincial racecourses are usually located in the suburbs and many of them host Provincial Cup races which also include Group and Listed contests.
Country races, apart from certain Country Cup meetings, are not usually covered by off course bookmakers and are pretty local affairs for local people.
The racecourses in the states of Victoria, South Australia, Tasmania and Western Australia are raced on in an anti-clockwise direction, while Queensland and New South Wales tracks in the main race clockwise.
How Is Horse Racing Governed In Australia?
The Australian Racing Board oversees all the racing operations in the country with each state having its own body called the Principle Racing Authority.
Australia is split up into the following eight racing authorities: Canberra Racing Club, Racing New South Wales, Racing Queensland, Racing Victoria Limited, Racing and Wagering Western Australia, Tasmanian Thoroughbred Racing Council, Thoroughbred Racing Northern Territory, Thoroughbred Racing South Australia.
What are Australia’s Top Races?
The Melbourne Cup is undoubtedly Australia’s most famous race, not only at home, but globally too. It is held every year on the first Tuesday in November at Flemington Racecourse in Melbourne.
“The race that stops the nation” is a partial holiday in Australia and there is a party atmosphere all over the country.
The race has had a keen European following ever since Vintage Crop went over there and won the race in 1993, and now several UK and Ireland raiders make the long journey every year.
The Victoria Derby is also held at Flemington. It is the feature race for young staying types each spring and is the opening Group 1 feature of the Melbourne Cup Carnival, following on from the Group 1 Cox Plate at Moonee Valley in late October.
The most recognised Group 1 races in Australia each year are the Melbourne Cup, Caulfield Cup and the Cox Plate in Melbourne, and the Golden Slipper in Sydney.
The Caulfield Cup is run on a Melbourne track, this time at Caulfield Racecourse. The race has been going now since 1879 and is always hotly contested.
Only horses aged 3 years and over are eligible, and if a horse wins both the Caulfield Cup and the Melbourne Cup, they complete what the Australian’s term the “Cups Double”, a feat that was last completed by Ethereal in 2001.
The Cox Plate is the richest weight for age race in Australia and a trophy that every trainer, jockey and horse owner wants to win.
The race takes place in late October at Moonee Valley Racecourse which renowned for its tight bends and its ability to sort the wheat from the chaff.
Rosehill Gardens Racecourse in Sydney is the annual location for the Golden Slipper Stakes, a 2-y-o juvenile race which takes place in April and is a part of the Golden Slipper Carnival.
It is Australia’s fourth richest race on the calendar, and the world’s richest race for two-year-old thoroughbreds.
How Do Australia's Group Races Work?
Group 1 races are held in all the major states of Australia and at the principal metropolitan tracks in each capital city. The majority of them take place at Melbourne and Sydney’s major racing carnivals each autumn and spring.
Although they do not hold as many Group 1 features, Brisbane, Perth and Adelaide all host major carnivals throughout the season.
Away from the major state carnivals, Queensland holds the Gold Coast Magic Millions Carnival while Hobart and Launceston come alive each year with the Tasmania Summer Racing Carnival.
Group races are divided into four categories in Australia:
Group 1 - at least $350,000 prize money - 60+ races per season.
Group 2 - at least $175,000 prize money - 80+ races per season.
Group 3 - at least $115,000 prize money - 110+ races per season.
Listed (Group 4) - at least $80,000 prize money - 280+ races per season.
Australia’s Top Racecourses
Flemington
Australia’s largest track plays host to 14 Group 1 races each year and attracts champion racehorses across all distances.
Flemington has been the setting for record-breaking stopwatch times by many legendary horses including Black Caviar and Makybe Diva, which remain track records to this day.
Photo credit: Andy Brownbill / AP Photo
Surprisingly Flemington is the only track in Australia that offers straight racing. The 1200m straight has become increasingly popular due to the prominence globally of Australia’s sprinting crop.
Moonee Valley
“The Valley” is home to four Group 1 races including the W.S. Cox Plate, Manikato Stakes, A.J. Moir Stakes and the William Reid Stakes.
The track is well known for being a very tight-turning one which can be difficult for punters to accurately pick out the winners.
Top jockeys at the course say the best place to be is just off the speed because the horses in front are tiring and the ones in behind have to pull out wide.
Caulfield
Group 1 racing is the order of the day at Caulfield Racecourse, with 12 events scheduled every season.
Four of these races take place during the Autumn Racing Carnival in February, while the other eight are held between August-October as part of the Spring Racing Carnival.
The Caulfield Cup is the crown jewel of their racing year and with a tidy prize purse of $3 million, it’s easy to see why all Australian owners and trainer eye this contest.
Rosehill
Rosehill Gardens is home to nine Group 1 races, including the world’s richest race for two-year-olds – the Golden Slipper. It is a race steeped in history that attracts Australia’s finest juveniles each March.
The Golden Slipper Stakes was inaugurated in 1957 and is the premier horse race for two-year-old Thoroughbreds. Prize money comes in at a cool $3.5 million, which makes it one of the most lucrative races for two-year-old horses anywhere in the world.
Punters who bet on horse racing consider Rosehill one of the fairest tracks around in Australia with every runner having a chance of some sort in the home straight.
*Credit for the main photo belongs to Andy Brownbill / AP Photo*
Steven is a sports and horse racing enthusiast and is a member of the Horseracing Writers and Photographers Association (HWPA) in the United Kingdom.
He is a regular visitor to Paris Longchamp for the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe and a lifelong fan of the Aintree Grand National, a subject he writes about 52 weeks of the year. Last year he reached the impressive milestone of attending the last 30 renewals of the Grand National.
Steven graduated from the University Of Lancaster in 1996 with a B.A (Hons) in Urban Policy & Race Relations (major) with Contemporary Religions & Belief Systems (minor) and still wonders if any of these help him find the winners?
He writes for a number of websites and online publications and you can sometimes hear him at the weekend discussing racing on a number of local radio stations.
England’s World Cup success in 2019 was the result of a four-year process. Earlier in the decade, they reached number one Test team in the world after a similar procedure, a period focused on one clear goal.
A major part of that was winning an Ashes series in Australia, which they did emphatically in 2010/11.
The two Ashes series down under since then have ended in a 5-0 defeat in 2013/14 and a 4-0 drubbing in 2017/18. England failed to regain the Ashes last summer, marking the end of a home winning streak running back to 2005.
The Chris Silverwood era will be different to the Trevor Bayliss years, and Silverwood is expected to oversee a climb in the Test rankings.
The Ashes, as the most prestigious Test series, will always be a part of that, and selection decisions are often seen through the win-in-Australia filter.
England, barring a spectacular turnaround, will not be the cricket betting favourites when they head to Australia in late-2021. It’s a rare feat, only achieved twice since 1980.
Strength in depth in the bowling department gives England options, and potentially some challenging decisions to make with their long-time new-ball duo.
Broad, Anderson Dilemma
Projecting 18 months ahead for players deep into their thirties is a helpless task. That is exactly what England will be doing with Stuart Broad and James Anderson, their two leading wicket-takers in Test match history.
Anderson has been struggling with injuries for the first time in his career, missing all but a few overs of the 2019 Ashes and the winter tours of New Zealand and South Africa.
Broad, while still performing at a high level, celebrates his 35th birthday a few months before the 2021/22 Ashes begin.
Away from decline and physical health, Broad and Anderson might not be in England’s best XI for the next Ashes.
Anderson’s Test bowling average is 35.43 in Australia, almost nine runs higher than his career record. Broad averages 37.17 in 12 Tests in Australia compared to 28.50 overall.
Fitting both into the bowling attack is unlikely. They could make the squad, however, and rotate as the experienced seamer.
If available, though, leaving one, or both, out will is a big call, even for two players nearing their career sunsets and with less than stellar records in Australia.
Need for Pace
Without the hooping Duke’s ball and limited grass on the pitches, raw pace is a requirement in Australia. Ben Stokes as a fourth seamer is huge, providing England protect him over the coming months.
Managing the mileage on Mark Wood and Jofra Archer might define England’s chances. Wood was back to his best in South Africa, while Archer has been sidelined after an epic summer.
There’s a wonderful crop of fast bowlers across the world right now, including England’s World Cup winning pair, and that can only be good for the state of Test cricket.
Olly Stone and Saqib Mahmood have been involved in the England setup and will be eyeing up a spot on the plane. George Garton is a name to look out for, too.
In the intensity of an Ashes series, England will need a group of quicks. Archer and Wood will be the first choice if fit, but developing younger arms is just as important.
Stokes’ presence, as always, is crucial. He can hit 90 mph and should enable Joe Root to share the workload and avoid lengthy spells for his frontline seamers.
Two of the aforementioned quintet and one of Broad and Anderson (or perhaps Chris Woakes) is a good framework for England to build towards.
Viable Spin Option
England’s spin bowling has become their greatest area of concern. Moeen Ali remains absent from the Test arena. Jack Leach hasn’t been available.
Dom Bess showed promise in South Africa, but few would argue he’s ready to be England’s number one in an Ashes series. Adil Rashid is sticking to the white ball. England have proved reluctant to play Matt Parkinson.
Away Ashes series are seldom kind to English spinners. Moeen averaged 115 in 2017/18, Graeme Swann’s average was over 50 in Australia, 23 runs higher than overall.
Australia will attack the spinner, they will look to hit a few into the stands and force the quicks to come back. Dealing with such brutality requires a combination of grit and skill on wickets that will not favour off spinners.
Ideally, England pick a spinner who bat at eight and hold an end up, leaving the wicket-taking to the four quick bowlers. Root can provide some tidy overs if required.
Who will stake their claim as England’s premier spinner over the next year and a half? Keep up to date with news, tips and more about cricket on our blog.
Reliable Batsmen
The batting line-up has been neglected thus far. That’s partly because there’s less of a ‘horses for courses’ approach, but England have also developed the outline for a batting order that could be locked in long-term.
Dominic Sibley and Zak Crawley are in the rookie days of their international careers, and have looked good, but it’s too early to guarantee their spots for the next Ashes.
Rory Burns showed concentration and grit in the summer, though troubles with the short ball are a concern for a five-Test series down under. It would be great to see Haseeb Hameed work his way back.
Ollie Pope, Joe Root and Ben Stokes will occupy the middle order with Pope possibly up to three in 18 months’ time.
Jonny Bairstow and Jos Buttler are searching for red-ball form - England are clearly keen to keep the two white-ball stars involved in the longest format.
The batting depth is thin. There’s not a long queue of players piling up runs in county cricket. England were trending in the right direction this winter, though, and they have the nucleus of a superb line-up in Pope, Root and Stokes.
England already had batsmen who light up the cricket IPL odds. They are starting to develop a proper Test line-up capable of toppling Australia.
*Credit for the main photo belongs to Mark Baker / AP Photo*
Sam is a sports tipster, specialising in the Premier League and Champions League.
He covers most sports, including cricket and Formula One. Sam particularly enjoys those on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean – notably MLB and NBA.
Watching, writing and talking about sports betting takes up most of his time, whether that is for a day out at T20 Finals Day or a long night of basketball.
Having been writing for several years, Sam has been working with 888Sport since 2016, contributing multiple articles per week to the blog.
With the NBA currently out of action for the foreseeable future, basketball fans have been left twiddling their thumbs. Never fear, 888sport are here – test your NBA knowledge with our quickfire sports quiz.
It’s you against the clock in our latest NBA quiz but can you name all 30 NBA teams in less than five minutes? There’s only one way to find out, get involved with our basketball quiz and let us know how you get on!
We’ll start you off with defending NBA champions, the Toronto Raptors. The latest NBA betting odds with 888sport have Toronto at 18/1 to retain the title this season. With the Raptors looking a shoo-in for the playoffs, a repeat could be on the cards.
888sport is the place to be for the latest basketball news, tips and information regarding the 2020 NBA season. Without further ado, let’s get down to business – can you name every team in the NBA? The clock is ticking!
Time for the answers…
Eastern Conference
Atlantic Division:
Boston Celtics
Brooklyn Nets
New York Knicks
Philadelphia 76ers
Toronto Raptors
Central Division:
Chicago Bulls
Cleveland Cavaliers
Detroit Pistons
Indiana Pacers
Milwaukee Bucks
Southeast Division:
Atlanta Hawks
Charlotte Hornets
Miami Heat
Orlando Magic
Washington Wizards
Western Conference
Southwest Division:
Dallas Mavericks
Houston Rockets
Memphis Grizzlies
New Orleans Pelicans
San Antonio Spurs
Northwest Division:
Denver Nuggets
Minnesota Timberwolves
Oklahoma City Thunder
Portland Trail Blazers
Utah Jazz
Pacific Division:
Golden State Warriors
Los Angeles Clippers
Los Angeles Lakers
Phoenix Suns
Sacramento Kings
*Credit for the main photo belongs to Matt York / AP Photo*
Alex is a sports betting tipster, specialising in Premier League football, the Champions League and horse racing.
He loves placing a weekly accumulator on the football at the weekend and dreams of landing the big winner that will take him back to Las Vegas.
As well as writing sports betting tips for 888sport since 2015, Alex has produced content for several international media companies, such as Goal.com and The SPORTBible.
