The St Leger Stakes is the final Classic of the season and takes place at Doncaster on Saturday 14th September. The race is confined to three-year-olds.
In recent years the two races that have supplied the bulk of the winners have been the Great Voltigeur and the Gordon Stakes with 11 out of 16 winners since 2000 running in one or the other on their previous start. The Epsom Derby can also provide some interesting clues.
Here is a runner-by-runner guide to this year’s renewal on Town Moor.
Dashing Willoughby
Dashing Willoughby was third in the Chester Vase and then flourished for the step up in trip at Royal Ascot by taking the Queen’s Vase in fairly attritional conditions.
He has subsequently run well in the Princess of Wales’s Stakes and the Goodwood Cup and is very dangerous to dismiss given the form of the Balding stable at the moment.
On a negative note he might not get the juice in the ground that he usually needs on Saturday.
Il Paradiso
After Il Paradiso produced a career-best effort at York and gave Stradivarius a scare in the Lonsdale Cup, there was a massive plunge on the O’Brien runner for the Leger.
The colt, who had been as high as 14/1 for the Doncaster showpiece, rapidly became a 5/1 horse racing betting chance with most bookmakers.
Only seventh behind his stablemate Sovereign in the Irish Derby, he has risen from a mark of 87 to his current rating of 115. That is due in part to his victory at the Curragh and his proximity to Dee Ex Bee at York.
His trainer Aidan O'Brien has won the St Leger six times since 2001.
Logician
Logician is the rapidly progressive son of Frankel and is unbeaten in four starts, therefore making him the very worthy favourite for this contest.
His impressive Great Voltigeur win over Constantinople makes him the one they all have to beat here.
The St Leger is another quarter of a mile further that the Great Voltigeur, but the grey was running his best in the last two furlongs at York and it would come as a surprise if he did not have the requisite stamina for this.
His trainer, John Gosden said: “He has been in great form since York. He is a very relaxed character and he has a lovely big long loping stride. I thought then (back in May) this might be a Leger horse.
He has come a long way in a short time. The nice, long straight at Doncaster should suit him well.”
Nayef Road
In typical Mark Johnston style the Galileo colt has been kept busy this season, running seven times in all and picking up two wins along the way, most notably the Gordon Stakes at Glorious Goodwood.
Unfortunately for connections he never followed that run up and ran very disappointingly in the Great Voltigeur next time out.
Nayef Road is the type of horse to bounce back but on the face of things he does look quite an exposed type now at this stage of the season.
Sir Dragonet
Sir Dragonet went off the favourite for the Derby after a wide margin win in the Chester Vase. That day he beat Norway by eight lengths and had the subsequent Queen’s Vase winner Dashing Willoughby well behind.
He lost nothing in defeat when a close up fifth in the Derby, but he ran a bit flat when only fourth in the Royal Whip Stakes.
He should be much fitter for that run at the Curragh and is the main market rival to the hotpot favourite Logician.
Sir Dragonet’s jockey on Saturday, Donnacha O’Brien told Racing TV: "I ride him in all his work, he's absolutely flying at home and gives you a very good feel.
It's always an unknown when they step up in trip, but he looks to have every chance of staying it - it's an unknown for plenty in the race. I think Logician is a nice horse, but he's going to have to improve to run to my level of form, being honest, and I think my lad is probably the one to beat."
Sir Ron Priestley
Sir Ron Priestley is a tough and progressive Mark Johnston horse who made the step up into Group company with a win in the March Stakes.
Franny Norton, who has partnered the Mark Johnston-trained colt to his last four wins, is philosophical about his chances: “Sir Ron Priestley has done nothing wrong apart from one blip in Royal Ascot’s King George V Handicap.
It’s a massive step between what he’s done so far and what he’s got to do in the St Leger, but we haven’t got to the bottom of this horse just yet. He always pulls it out, and has every right to be in the race.”
Mark Johnston is looking for his first ever success in the St Leger despite being the winning most flat trainer of all time in the UK. 49-year-old Norton is also looking for his first ever Group 1 victory so there could be a fairytale ending for both men on the cards.
Technician
Technician got no kind of a run in the Chester Vase behind Sir Dragonet but has since won twice, the latest of this victories coming in the Geoffrey Freer Stakes when he got the better of the useful Morando.
He was a disappointing however at Glorious Goodwood behind Nayef Road and it remains to be seen whether he can mix it with the big boys at this level.
Western Australia
Western Australia was on pacemaking duties for Japan last time out in the Grand Prix de Paris and it looks like odds of 1.01 that he will be doing so again here, but this time for Sir Dragonet and Il Paradiso.
St Leger 2019: Our Pick
It is very hard to get away from this race being a straight shootout between Logician and Sir Dragonet, with the former just getting the verdict.
888sport suggests: Logician (win).
*Credit for the main photo belongs to Leslie Priest / 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.
Amid the success of Team GB in the velodrome, cycling in Great Britain has become massively popular over the last few years. Olympic domination, paired with Tour de France success, has seen cyclists become national superstars.
The velodrome will be a key venue for Team GB in Tokyo too. There are medals aplenty up for grabs, with a variety of events on the track.
Taking in different – sometimes new – sports is one of the beautiful things about an Olympic year. Not everyone will be familiar with all of the events we will see in the velodrome in Tokyo – here’s a quick run through…
Omnium
The omnium is a competition made up of a set of races, comparable to the heptathlon or decathlon in track and field.
Previously including an individual pursuit, time trial and flying lap, the format of the omnium has been drastically altered for Tokyo 2020.
A tempo race has been added to the remaining trio of the points race, elimination race and scratch race. This change sees the omnium become more focussed on endurance over sprint speeds, providing riders with a drastically different challenge.
Points are handed out for each position in each race, with the winner receiving 40 points, second place receiving 38, third place receiving 36 and so on.
The elimination race is one of the most entertaining pieces of sport around. Every couple of laps, all the riders sprint. The last rider to cross the line is eliminated from the race.
It might sound simple, but it lends itself to intriguing tactical battles throughout as riders look to stay alive while conserving energy.
Run over 10km for men and 7.5km for women, the tempo race sees the riders sprint every lap after the first four. ‘Winning’ a lap earns a rider a point, while lapping the field wins 20 points. Being lapped by the field results in a rider losing 20 points.
The simplest of the four omnium events, the aim of the scratch race is to be the first rider over the line. At Tokyo 2020, the men will race for 15km and the women will race for 10km.
There can be different strategies – building an early lead or holding off for a late sprint – but the objective is the same regardless.
The final race of the Olympic omnium is the points race. The longest of the competition, the points race is over 25km for men and 20km for women. There is a sprint every 10 laps, with the top four scoring points – 5, 3, 2 and 1.
The final sprint is worth double points – which will see some riders preserve their energy for a late push – and like the tempo race, there are 20 points available for lapping the field.
Sprint
Two riders go head-to-head over three laps in the first round of sprints. It’s best of three, meaning riders need two victories to progress into the knockout stages. The best 16 riders compete in the knockout round over a 200-metre time trial.
While it might sound like a flat-out push, sprint racing involves a lot of strategic decisions, often seeing riders come to a complete standstill to force their opponent to take the lead. Riders will also look to quickly accelerate to catch their rival offguard.
Team Sprint
The men’s team sprint includes three riders, while the women’s version of the event is just two competitors.
Taking place over three laps, each rider is ‘responsible’ for a lap. The lead rider will get their team away on the first lap, before peeling off in a designated zone either side of the finish line.
The second rider will then lead for the second lap, before peeling off in the same zone. That leads the third rider to sprint alone for the final lap. The team with the quickest time over the three laps wins the race.
Team Pursuit
The team pursuit is a race over 16 laps of the track. Each team start on opposite sides, with the lead rider in the lowest position and their three teammates alongside them.
The rider in front for the start of the race has to get their team up to speed quickly, but carefully. This can often take the best part of 500 metres.
Once up to speed, the team will take turns to do the leg work at the front. The stints can vary in length depending on the strength of the rider, before they sweep up the banking to allow their teammates to pass and join on behind the final rider.
The most successful teams will minimise gaps between each other to get the full benefit of their teammates.
The team’s time is calculated by the third rider across the finish line at the end of the 16 laps. As a result, a rider will often drop out at some point during the race.
This will usually be the leader, who has to put in the extra effort early on and can suffer from fatigue in the latter stages as a result.
In a medal race, if a team ‘catches’ their opponents, they automatically win the race. Tour de France winner Bradley Wiggins is a two-time Team Pursuit gold medallist.
Keirin
One of the most popular events in Japan, the Keirin is a race where the riders follow a pace-setting bike called a ‘derny’. Lining up on the pursuit line, the competitors wait for the derny to pass before following on behind.
The order behind the derny is allocated at random – position number one starts and the bottom of the track and slots in behind the derny.
Riders will often jostle for position behind the derny ahead of the sprint over the final two-and-a-half laps. The derny’s pace builds up prior to that, however, reaching a peak of 50kph for men and 45kph for women.
There’s a fair bit of variety in keirin races depending on the field. Some riders will favour holding off until a last-lap sprint, while others will prefer to push the pace early on.
A new addition for Tokyo 2020 having missed the last few Olympic Games, the Madison is named after New York’s iconic venue Madison Square Garden.
It’s a race that is more complex most others, and one that British rider Mark Cavendish has enjoyed success in at the World Championships.
Competing in a pair, riders sprint every 20 laps with the winner receiving five points, second gets three, third get two and fourth gets one just like the points race in the omnium.
Despite being in a pair, only one rider is active in the race at a given time. The other circles the track at the top of the banking.
Switches will often occur to tag the better sprinter in as a sprint section approaches or sometimes just for a rest. The riders have to make contact with one another to change over, and will use this as an opportunity to help their teammate along.
The team that completes the most laps wins the race with the points scored used as a tiebreaker.
*Credit for the main photo belongs to Alastair Grant / 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 less than two weeks until the opening game of the 2019 Rugby World Cup, excitement and anticipation is growing across the world.
All eyes will be on Tokyo Stadium for the first game of the tournament on September 20th and rugby fans will be placing their bets ahead of what has the potential to be the best Rugby World Cup yet.
Without further ado, let’s take a look at why Japan is well equipped to make this a Rugby World Cup to remember for all the right reasons.
Rugby Growing In Japan
Now up to 10th in the official World Rugby rankings, Japan have matured into a relatively consistent rugby nation. The Asian outfit are above the likes of Italy, Georgia and Argentina and that is testament to the hard work of recent Japan teams.
Japan claimed one of the biggest scalps in Rugby World Cup history when defeating South Africa in 2015 and home fans will be hoping for another shock this time around. To advance to the knockout stages, Japan will need to beat either Scotland or Ireland.
The Brave Blossoms have struggled against Tier 1 nations since 2015 but they have won 17 of their last 18 games against Tier 2 teams. With a bit of luck, we could see Japan reach the knockout stages and that will only enhance the status of rugby union in the country.
Optimum Rugby Conditions
Tokyo will host the 2020 Olympic Games and organisers are concerned about the extreme climate during July and August. With temperatures topping 40 degrees Celsius in summer months, Japan is baking hot and that is a real issue for sporting events.
Fortunately, the World Cup is taking place in September and October. Temperatures will be much lower than during the summer months and that bodes well for players, spectators and everyone involved in the Rugby World Cup.
Conditions in rugby union can be a real leveller and optimum weather should mean that the best teams can play to their potential. Expect plenty of high-octane rugby and we could see a Rugby World Cup record for tries in 2019 if everything goes to plan.
Exciting Pool Stage Draw
The group stages of international sporting events can be mundane at the best of times but the 2019 Rugby World Cup line-up looks exciting on paper. Ireland and Scotland will do battle with Japan in Group A while giants New Zealand and South Africa will dominate in Pool B.
England were drawn into the ‘group of death’ alongside Argentina and France while Wales and Australia will collide in the pool stages for the second tournament in a row. With so many enticing matches to keep up with, punters should follow our Rugby World Cup guide.
Pool stage games are scheduled to take place in the morning in the United Kingdom and Ireland, with the earliest start time at 4:15am and the latest kick-off at 11:45am. Fingers crossed for an entertaining round of group stage fixtures…
Six Nations Teams Flying
Wales and Ireland have both enjoyed brief stints at the top of the World Rugby rankings in recent weeks while England have also been firing on all cylinders. With these three teams in supreme form, a Six Nations side could be primed to lift the Webb Ellis Cup.
Warren Gatland will want to leave Wales on a high and the 2019 Six Nations Grand Slam winners could reach the latter stages. Meanwhile, Ireland won a Grand Slam of their own 18 months ago and are now ranked as the best team on the planet.
Eddie Jones’ side secured their biggest ever victory over Ireland last month before defeating Italy 37-0 in their final World Cup warm-up. England will be quietly confident of securing a second World Cup crown come November 2nd.
All Blacks For The Taking?
Write New Zealand off at your peril. The All Blacks may have lost their status as the number one ranked team on the planet but Steve Hansen’s men are still the team to beat having won the previous three editions of the Rugby World Cup.
The manner of New Zealand’s 36-0 triumph over Australia last month sent shockwaves across the world. Yes, the All Blacks relinquished their Rugby Championship crown to South Africa but New Zealand are still New Zealand.
Getting it right for the Rugby World Cup is what the All Blacks do better than anyone and it wouldn’t be a huge surprise to see New Zealand perform at their brilliant best. However, there will be a handful of capable teams waiting in the wings if the All Blacks do fall short.
*Credit for the main photo belongs to Trevor Collens / 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.
Horse racing coverage from the UK and Ireland has never been more accessible than it is now and there are numerous platforms that you can watch it on.
Whether you’re a domestic or an overseas viewer, there is always an easy way to watch your favourite equine stars in action, wherever you are in the world.
Let’s take a look at some of the most popular places to watch horse racing online.
Racing TV
Formerly known as Racing UK, Racing TV came into being on January 1st 2019 after the channel extended its portfolio to include racing from all 26 Irish racecourses.
Racing TV broadcasts live racing from 61 racecourses which equates to over 70% of all the racing from Britain and Ireland.
Such extensive coverage means that the channel now shows nearly 90% of all Group and Graded races. Each track has its own dedicated live stream available on Racing TV Extra which is a key feature of Racing TV’s digital platform.
Racing TV is available to Sky and Virgin customers in Ireland, and Sky, Virgin, Freeview / YouView customers in Britain.
Racing TV International is the same service, but for international viewers. The channel is a working collaboration between SIS (Sports Information Services) and the Racecourse Media Group.
RMG is the holding company responsible for the media rights of the following racecourses (the shareholders): Aintree, Ayr, Beverley, Carlisle, Cartmel, Catterick Bridge, Cheltenham, Epsom Downs, Exeter, Goodwood, Hamilton Park, Haydock Park, Huntingdon, Kelso, Kempton Park, Leicester, Ludlow, Market Rasen, Musselburgh, Newbury, Newmarket, Nottingham, Perth, Pontefract, Redcar, Salisbury, Sandown Park, Stratford-on-Avon, Taunton, Thirsk, Warwick, Wetherby, Wincanton and York.
Sky Sports Racing
Many will remember this station as At The Races, but Sky Sports gave it a rebrand in January 2019 and added it to their group of dedicated sports channels.
The channel is now broadcasting in HD for the first time and is produced from the Sky Studios in West London.
There is live coverage of over 650 fixtures in the United Kingdom as well as highly exclusive international race meetings, including those from France, Hong Kong, Australia and the USA.
In March 2019 both Chester and Bangor-On-Dee came under the Sky Sports Racing umbrella after Sky signed a 10-year deal with the Chester Race Company, who manages both of the venues.
Chester’s showpiece meeting is the May Festival which in recent years has seen the subsequent winners of the Derby, Oaks, King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes and the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe all tasting success on the Roodee.
Attheraces.com remains the digital partner to Sky Sports Racing, providing a range of data to complement the racing channel.
The website and app offers viewers an on-demand service of full programmes and highlights clips as well as there being a live video subscription option too.
ITV Racing
In January 2016, it was announced that ITV had bought the horse racing rights from Channel 4 to broadcast live pictures on terrestrial television, with a start date of January 1st 2017.
This isn’t the first time that ITV has been involved in horse racing coverage. From 1969 to 1985, ITV had been on the airwaves showing live horse racing through programmes such as “They’re Off” through to the “ITV 7”.
In addition to their racing coverage on ITV, the organisation always runs a programme called “The Opening Show”. Essentially it is a magazine show accompanying coverage of the horse racing.
It is generally presented on-site from the main course each Saturday, with additional weekday programmes during the big festivals such as The Cheltenham Festival and Royal Ascot.
On the subject of Royal Ascot, in figures released shortly after the meeting in June, ITV's average audience rose by 19 percent compared to last year, as across the five days around 850,000 viewers are said to have tuned in.
The audience total was an upgrade of 58 percent to that of Channel 4's broadcast back in 2016, highlighting how much the channel are bringing racing into people’s living rooms.
Referring back to ITV Racing's jumps season coverage earlier in the year and the viewing statistics have shown an increase of 14 per cent year on year, with the average viewing figures across ITV and ITV4 rising by 81,000 per broadcast for jumps meetings for the months October through to April.
Overall ITV's coverage across both its main channel and ITV4 reached 16.5 million people, representing an increase of 1.3m viewers (8%) compared to the previous jumps season.
Figures for April's Grand National rose by more than a million viewers, with a peak of almost 10m tuning into for world’s greatest steeplechase.
Live Streaming On 888sport
Of course you can watch any race that you have a horse racing betting wager on here on our website.
We now stream the action from every single one of Britain and Ireland’s 85 racecourses, meaning you never have to miss out on watching a race again.
For as little as a £1 stake per race, you can watch all the top flight action from all the racecourses on both sides of the Irish Sea, including fantastic venues such as Cheltenham, Ascot, Aintree, Kempton, Leopardstown, Punchestown and The Curragh. We have every race covered!
To watch a race is really simple, all you have to do is have a bet of £1 or 50p each-way and then you can sit back, relax and watch how your selections get on.
Don’t forget to pick up daily price boosts in our “Specials” section and read our twice- weekly race previews from our horse racing contributor and HWPA (Horserace Writers and Photographers Association) member, Steven Mullington.
*Credit for the main photo belongs to Tim Ireland / 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.
The Champions League is the greatest club football competition on the planet.
With the best teams in Europe competing for the trophy every season, football fans will have fingers and toes crossed that their club can compete in the Champions League showpiece fixture.
Those two players rank at the top of the European Cup goal scorer charts but who else makes the list?
Filippo Inzaghi (46 goals)
One of the most prolific strikers in Serie A history, Inzaghi was central to two of AC Milan’s Champions League victories in the 2000s.
Sir Alex Ferguson said “that lad must have been born offside” and that is testament to his style – Inzaghi made a career of playing on the last defender.
Champions League highlight: scoring a brace in the 2007 final against Liverpool.
An absolute demon in front of goal, Shevchenko was one of the best finishers of his era. We shouldn’t let that penalty miss in Istanbul in 2005 change that view.
Champions League highlight: Scored the winning penalty in the 2003 final.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic (48 goals)
The iconic Swede has never won Europe’s ultimate prize but Zlatan deserves plenty of credit for his impact and influence on the competition.
With 48 Champions League goals for an incredible seven clubs, Ibrahimović has been key to a number of European campaigns – but that first triumph has always eluded him.
Champions League highlight: he is the only player to score for six teams in the competition.
Hard done by just three years earlier, Henry was part of the Barcelona squad that lifted the Champions League in 2009. A well-deserved success for a world class striker…
Champions League highlight: winning the competition in 2009 with Barcelona.
Robert Lewandowski (53 goals)
Another player on this list with no Champions League title as of yet, Lewandowski has been the focal point of Bayern Munich’s attack since joining the club in 2014.
Lewandowski’s goals helped Bayern reach the European Cup final in 2013 but Bayern fell just short – the Poland striker will be hoping for another chance at the trophy in 2020.
Champions League highlight: Making the Champions League team of the year in successive seasons.
Ruud Van Nistelrooy (56 goals)
No Champions League triumph for Van Nistelrooy but the Dutchman still sneaks into the top five on this list – an impressive achievement to say the least.
Plagued by injury throughout his career, nobody quite knows how many ‘Ruud’ would have scored with a bit more luck on that front.
Benzema played a key role in Real Madrid’s run of success in this competition, with four wins in the space of five seasons. But does he get the recognition that he deserves?
The France international now ranks in the top five Champions League scorers of all-time and it would be foolish to ignore that fact. Give Benzema more credit…
Champions League highlight: helping Real win three successive Champions League trophies.
Raul Gonzalez (71 goals)
Raul is a Real Madrid legend and the Santiago Bernabeu faithful will be forever grateful to the Spaniard for his commitment and passion to Los Blancos.
He scored in two of Real’s three European Cup final triumphs during his tenure at the club and Raul deserves to go down as a club legend.
Champions League highlight: winning his third Champions League trophy with Real.
Lionel Messi (112 goals)
41 goals clear of third, Messi is on another level to those beneath him. Arguably the best player in the history of the sport, Messi is second only to Ronaldo on this list.
Messi lit up the competition last season but Barcelona fell short in the semi-finals against Liverpool. Write the La Liga giants off at your peril.
Champions League highlight: masterminding the 3-1 win over Manchester United in 2011.
With five winner’s medals in his trophy cabinet, he is one of the most successful players in European Cup history and he could be set for number six with Juventus in 2019.
Champions League highlight: winning his fifth Champions League medal.
*Credit for the main photo belongs to Luca Bruno / 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 Men’s US Open Final takes place this Sunday evening with Daniil Medvedev facing Rafael Nadal. Medvedev was in red-hot form ahead of the year’s final Grand Slam, but he was no more than an outsider in the pre-US Open betting.
Plonked in the same half of the draw as Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal, Medvedev’s path to the final looked extremely challenging a couple of weeks ago.
Federer’s five-set defeat to Grigor Dimitrov and Djokovic’s retirement through injury gave Medvedev a favourable path to Sunday’s showpiece.
The fifth-seed battled past Stanislas Wawrinka in the last eight before cruising past Dimitrov on Friday evening in the semi-final.
That was the young Russian’s first straight-sets victory since the first round – it’s not been easy for him, and he will have been delighted to make relatively light work of the Dimitrov matchup.
While the fact neither Djokovic or Federer made it to the final is a surprise, Medvedev’s successful fortnight is not. This is his fourth consecutive final, having lost in Washington and Montreal before defeating David Goffin to win in Cincinnati.
That Montreal defeat came against Nadal with Medvedev winning just three games. Such a domination contributes to the lengthy 5/1 for Medvedev to lift the trophy on Sunday night.
With 50 tour victories this calendar year, Medvedev has won more matches than any of the big three. Providing he can get past the inevitable nerves associated with a first Grand Slam final, we should be in for a very competitive match. Over 0.5 tie breaks is Evens.
Nadal might not be the first name that comes to mind when we think of hard court tennis, but the brilliant Spaniard was one of the standouts in US Open betting tips before the tournament started.
His main challengers in the bottom half of the draw all fell before they were due to meet.
Dominic Thiem and Stefanos Tsitsipas suffered first-round upsets, while Alexander Zverev was thoroughly outplayed by Diego Schwartzmann in the fourth-round. Nadal made light work of the Argentine in the last eight.
Having only dropped one set so far, there will be plenty of support for Nadal to win in straight sets at Evens.
It’s been as easy a competition as one could imagine for Nadal to date. That trend continued with his 7-6, 6-4, 6-1 win over Matteo Berrettini on Friday night.
Some big shots from the Italian frustrated Nadal, and made him work for it, but in true Nadal fashion, he wore him down and took advantage of his opponent’s mistakes.
With a Grand Slam crown on the line, Medvedev will enter Sunday’s match under the sort of pressure he hasn’t faced before. A poor start and the match could quickly fall into Nadal’s hands.
Medvedev’s first serve percentage was down against Dimitrov, and he must get that back up towards the 60% mark if he’s to stand a chance against an in-form Nadal in the final.
888Sport have an array of US Open odds. With Nadal at 1/7 to win his fourth Grand Slam, the value obviously lies elsewhere. If Medvedev can improve on his Montreal performance, the 6/1 on Nadal to win in five sets could prove to be a great price.
US Open 2019: Women's Final
Serena Williams (7/20) will have the chance to make history against young Canadian Bianca Andreescu in Saturday’s US Open final.
Williams is hunting a record-equalling 24th Grand Slam singles title and is in supreme form ahead of the showpiece event, dropping just one set en route to the final.
Playing in her home event, Williams overpowered Elina Svitolina in the semi-final, romping to a 6-3 6-1 victory.
If she is victorious on Saturday, it will be her first Grand Slam triumph since giving birth back in September 2017. Having lost her last six singles finals, Williams will have to cope with mental demons as much as anything else.
At just 19 years old, Andreescu (23/10) wasn’t even born when Williams won her first Grand Slam title.
Incredibly, the Canadian is making her first ever appearance in the US Open main draw and neutrals in the New York crowd will be backing the youngster to produce one of Grand Slam tennis’ biggest shocks.
Andreescu edged past 22-year-old Swiss star in a three-set thriller, winning the last five games of the match to seal an improbable victory.
Beating the greatest female player of all-time won’t be easy by any means but Andreescu looks primed to enjoy a long and successful career at the top of the sport.
Williams will want to get off to a fast start in Saturday’s final and she can use her experience to her advantage.
4/9 for the American to win the opening set of the match is a price worth taking, especially as Andreescu is likely to be nervous ahead of the US Open showpiece. A fast start for Williams will put Andreescu under pressure.
The most powerful woman in the sport, Williams has been a class above her competitors for most of her career.
Now free from any lingering injury issues, the American can cement her status as an all-time great with a record-equalling 24th Grand Slam triumph. Add her doubles record into the mix and she is easily clear of her peers.
Now ranked number 15 in the world, Andreescu could climb into the top 10 with a Grand Slam triumph this weekend.
Without a doubt, the Canadian has the quality to push Williams close – plenty of punters will fancy the underdog to edge it. The 23/10 on offer for a shock win represents solid value given how unpredictable Grand Slam tennis is at times…
Over 2.5 sets is available at 31/20 and that could turn out to be a monster price.
Williams is the clear favourite but Andreescu has shown plenty of grit and determination throughout the tournament and we could be set for a US Open final for the ages. Watch this space, you won’t want to miss Saturday’s contest.
Williams and Andreescu are at different stages of their respective careers and that makes it very difficult to predict. It isn’t quite David vs Goliath but Williams certainly heads into the clash as the red-hot favourite.
History beckons if the American can get the job done but 19-year-old Andreescu will take some stopping.
The 2019 US Open gets underway on 26th August in Flushing Meadows, New York.
The 139th edition of the US Open will see Serbian Novak Djokovic and Japanese youngster Naomi Osaka look to defend their 2018 crowns. More information about the upcoming fortnight of tennis can be found in our US Open 2019 tournament guide.
The fourth Grand Slam of the calendar year brings with it its own pressures, with players having to wait until Melbourne in January for another bite at the Grand Slam cherry.
Many of the greatest US Open finals have had implications beyond that year’s competition too – finals in New York have been turning points in many careers.
Sadly for British tennis fans, Andy Murray’s Grand Slam singles return has been delayed, but the three-time Grand Slam winner will be in doubles action. This preview, however, focuses on the two singles draws…
US Open 2019: Men's
The market suggests Novak Djokovic will take some beating in New York. Looking to defend his crown and lift a fourth US Open, Djokovic is just 11/10.
The 32-year-old suffered a shock loss to Daniil Medvedev in Cincinnati – his only tournament since beating Roger Federer in that extraordinary Wimbledon final.
The Serbian is aiming to win three Grand Slams in a calendar year for the third time in his career. Previously achieved in 2011 and 2015, it appears there is a four-year cycle of Djokovic winning in Australian, France and the US.
Medvedev, Fabio Fognini and Kevin Anderson are the main threats before a potential semi-final matchup with Federer. Federer, arguably the greatest tennis player ever, is priced at 5/1.
Still searching for a sixth US Open, the great Swiss has had a mixed time in Flushing Meadows since winning a record-breaking five in a row during the 2000s. Having not made the last four since 2015, expectations of more glory in New York are fading.
On the grass, however, we saw some vintage Federer on his way to that fifth-set tiebreak defeat to Djokovic. Prior to that, he had impressed on the hard courts of Dubai and Miami.
A straight sets defeat to world number 70 Andrey Rublev in Cincinnati was his most recent match, though, and that will not have ignited a wave of support.
While still up to competing at the very top of the sport – as his world ranking shows – Federer is the underdog whenever he faces Djokovic, particularly over five sets.
Wimbledon might give Federer backers hope if they meet in the semi-final, but the betting markets will likely still favour Djokovic.
The other of the big three, Rafael Nadal, will like the look of his draw. Avoiding Federer or Djokovic until the final, Nadal is 7/2 to lift his fourth US Open.
John Isner or Marin Cilic in the fourth round will be Nadal’s first real test. Such is his superiority over the field, it will be a shock if he doesn’t make it all the way to the final.
Young challengers Dominic Thiem, Alexander Zverev and Stefanos Tsitsipas still have a way to go to be considered real threats deep into the second week of a Grand Slam fortnight.
Fresh off Cincinnati glory, Medvedev follows Djokovic, Federer and Nadal at 13/1.
Losses to Nick Kyrgios and Nadal in Washington and Toronto finals respectively were obviously disappointing for the world number five, but he’s been in superb form of late and should make it into the last eight.
In the tougher top half of the draw, however, it’s a big ask for the 23-year-old to make it into the semi-final.
Speculation about Thiem, Zverev and Tsitsipas’ Grand Slam credentials will be plentiful in the coming weeks. Maybe this is the tournament where they prove themselves as challengers, but even at those long prices, it’s not worth considering.
It will come down to the big three, and most likely an epic final between Djokovic and Nadal. The easier route to the Sunday showdown could make Nadal a good bet.
US Open 2019: Women's
Despite pulling out of the Rogers Cup final with an injury, and not taking the court since then, Serena Williams is the tennis betting favourite to win the 2019 US Open at 5/1.
The six-time US Open champion was the centre of controversy in her 2018 final loss in New York as arguments on the court overshadowed Naomi Osaka’s victory.
On a long tournament drought, Serena heads to her home Grand Slam with a major point to prove. A first-round matchup with Maria Sharapova will be a severe early test, and could put off some bettors.
Out at 14/1 to go all the way, and having only made a Grand Slam final once before, Madison Keys is an intriguing name in the women’s draw.
Keys was magnificent on her way to winning in Cincinnati, including a brilliant three-set victory over US Open second favourite Simona Halep.
Keys has leapt up the rankings as a result. While her route to the latter stages isn’t the easiest – with Sofia Kenin and Evina Svitolina lined up for third and fourth round meetings respectively – Keys’ form will tempt some people to back her for a first Grand Slam.
Halep’s 13/2 price is probably on the short side considering her US Open track record.
Victory at Wimbledon showed the Romanian is capable of adapting to different surfaces, but her preparation for a gruelling fortnight in the Big Apple hasn’t been ideal.
A favourable looking draw could change things quickly for the 2018 French Open champion, however.
World number two Ashleigh Barty is at 8/1. The Australian wasn’t at her best in Cincinnati and suffered a disappointing loss to Kenin in Toronto. A pretty dismal record at the US Open won’t attract much support, and probably suggests her price is a bit short.
Considering the odds, Osaka at 10/1 is a significantly better bet than Barty and Halep, and might be the value pick of the draw.
The reigning US Open champion has returned to the top of the world rankings and rediscovered some form over the last few weeks. As the top seed on her favourite surface, Osaka could be set for another deep run at Flushing Meadows.
With the summer break over, Formula One is quickly back into full flow. Rested after three weeks off, the teams had no time to recover with back-to-back Grands Prix once the season is back underway.
After a tragic weekend in Belgium, the teams shift south to Italy for the Italian Grand Prix at the magnificent Monza.
Charles Leclerc claimed a first career victory at Spa last weekend, dominating from start to finish in his Ferrari. Sebastian Vettel succumbed to Lewis Hamilton in the latter stages, as Hamilton extended his Drivers’ Championship lead once again.
Max Verstappen suffered a frustrating exit on the first lap, while a last-lap break down cost Lando Norris a career-best fifth-place finish.
The Ferraris will be well supported and confident as they head to their home Grand Prix. One of the most historic venues in Formula One, let’s take a look ahead at this weekend’s race, starting with a bit of history…
Italian Grand Prix: Brief History
The Italian Grand Prix was first held in 1921, counting towards the World Manufacturers’ Championship in the 1920s and part of the European Championship in the 1930s.
Along with the British Grand Prix, it has been part of the Formula One calendar in every year since the first campaign in 1950. Every race has been held at Monza apart from in the 1980 season when the Italian Grand Prix was at Imola.
Italian manufacturers Alfa Romeo won the first ever Formula One Grand Prix in 1950, with Giuseppe Farina winning the race.
Engine issues saw Alfa Romeo – which included the brilliant Juan Manuel Fangio – fall short in 1951, opening the door for an Ascari victory. A couple of years later in 1954, Fangio duelled with the new man at the front of the grid, Stirling Moss.
In 1980, Imola hosted its one and only Italian Grand Prix with Monza being majorly redeveloped. Nelson Piquet won that race at Imola, and while Monza has been the home of the Italian Grand Prix ever since, Imola was a long-time part of the Formula One calendar.
The 1988 Grand Prix saw a famous victory for Ferrari. Enzo Ferrari had died just weeks before the race, and McLaren had won all of the races up to that point. Gerhard Berger took advantage of a frustrating afternoon for Alain Prost and Ayrton Senna to earn an impressive win.
Moving into the 21st century, Michael Schumacher announced his first Formula One retirement after the 2006 Italian Grand Prix. Just a couple of seasons later, Sebastian Vettel became the youngest Grand Prix winner in Formula One history.
The 2010s have seen some uncertainty over the future of the Italian Grand Prix – another similarity with its British counterpart – but it looks set to remain part of the Formula One schedule for a good while yet.
Italian Grand Prix: Monza
Formerly named Autodromo Nazionale Monza, Monza was built back in 1922, becoming just the third purpose-built racing circuit in the world.
Monza has three configurations, with the 3.6 mile version the longest of the lot. That’s the circuit that the Formula One drivers will be flying round this weekend.
Curva Grande is a sweeping bend that Formula One cars will usually be able to take with the accelerator all the way to the floor.
The long straights and open corners mean that F1 cars are at full throttle for the vast majority of the lap, making it an incredibly fast lap, much like the Belgian Grand Prix last weekend.
Cars will be set up with minimal drag and understeer can be an issue. Top speeds of well over 200mph are common, making the drivers little more than a blur as they go past the roaring Italian crowds.
Monza has a capacity of well over 100,000, and there will be parties around the circuit if Ferrari can make it two wins from two this weekend.
Italian Grand Prix: Recent Winners
2018 – Lewis Hamilton
2017 – Lewis Hamilton
2016 – Nico Rosberg
2015 – Lewis Hamilton
2014 – Lewis Hamilton
Italian Grand Prix: Most Wins
5 – Michael Schumacher, Lewis Hamilton
4 – Nelson Piquet
3 – Sebastian Vettel, Rubens Barrichello, Alain Prost, Ronnie Peterson, Stirling Moss, Juan Manuel Fangio, Alberto Ascari, Tazio Nulvari
Italian Grand Prix: F1 Betting Tips
At the start of the 2019 Formula One season, Ferrari will have identified these two weeks as a big opportunity.
Unfortunately for Charles Leclerc and Sebastian Vettel, it isn’t part of a title push, but they will be relishing the opportunity to compete for top spot on the podium again this weekend.
Fresh off his first ever win, Leclerc is 7/5 to make it two in a row this weekend in 888sport’s Formula One betting odds.
The Ferrari was quicker than any car on the grid in the first and third sectors at Spa, and we can expect similar great pace at Monza, where the raw power should give Vettel and Leclerc an advantage even against the irrepressible Hamilton.
Hamilton gave us yet another reminder of his standing among the greatest ever drivers at Spa, chasing down Vettel and nearly catching Leclerc.
Writing off Hamilton is a risky business, but the Mercedes’ struggles on the straights against the Ferrari are hard to forget. There’s nothing to suggest those woes will disappear this weekend.
It could be a tricky weekend for the Red Bulls, and that might leave an opening for Kimi Raikkonen’s Ferrari-powered Alfa Romeo if he can avoid a first lap collision this time round. Raikkonen is one to watch once again.
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.
The 2019 NFL season gets underway on Thursday night and fans will be eagerly anticipating an exciting season on the gridiron.
Test your NFL knowledge with our American Football quiz while you wait for your team’s first match – only a true NFL fan will get 100% correct…
You can find a list of the 10 questions below, with the answers available towards the bottom of the page. Good luck!
Who competed in the first Super Bowl in 1967?
Which team has the most Super Bowl wins?
Which player has made the most NFL appearances?
Which franchise has played the most NFL games?
The most successful head coach in NFL history is…
How many teams are yet to win the Super Bowl?
Who is the only rookie to win the MVP award?
Which teams have had the most number one draft picks?
Which quarterback has the most passing yards in NFL history?
What is the biggest stadium used by an NFL team?
Okay, so here are the answers...
Who competed in the first Super Bowl in 1967?
Answer: the Green Bay Packers and the Kansas City Chiefs. The Packers ran out comfortable winners at Memorial Colliseum, Los Angeles after securing a 35-10 victory. That was the first of Green Bay’s four championships in the Super Bowl era.
Which teams have won the most Super Bowls? (2 answers)
Answer: the Pittsburgh Steelers and the New England Patriots. Pittsburgh were the NFL’s dominant force in the 1970s, with four of their Super Bowl triumphs coming in the space of six years.
Meanwhile, the Patriots have enjoyed more recent success – New England have been involved in nine Super Bowl games since Tom Brady was drafted into the NFL in 2001.
Who has played the most NFL games?
Answer: Morten Andersen. Known as the ‘Great Dane’ across the league, Andersen made an incredible 382 NFL appearances in his 25-year career.
Up there with Adam Vinatieri as one of the greatest kickers in NFL history, Andersen sadly missed out on Super Bowl glory but remains one of the all-time legends.
Which team has played the most NFL games?
Answer: the Chicago Bears. According to statistics obtained ahead of the 2019 NFL season, the Bears have played 1,386 NFL games – 34 more than the Green Bay Packers. Chicago are one of just two original franchises from 1920 still playing under the same name.
The most successful NFL head coach is...
Answer: Bill Belichick. With six Super Bowl rings, Belichick is the NFL's greatest head coach. George Halas and Vince Lombardi won five but Belichick’s impact and influence have been central to New England’s success during his time at Gillette Stadium.
How many teams are yet to win the Super Bowl?
Answer: 12. There are 12 teams who have yet to taste Super Bowl glory, with four of those – Cleveland Browns, Detroit Lions, Jacksonville Jaguars, Houston Texans – having never even competed in the NFL’s showpiece event.
Who is the only rookie to win the MVP award?
Answer: Jim Brown. In 1957, Cleveland Browns running back Jim Brown became the first rookie in NFL history to win the MVP award. Brown went on to win the accolade on three separate occasions and he is still the only running back to achieve such a feat.
Which teams have had the most number one draft picks? (2 answers)
Answer: the Indianapolis Colts and Los Angeles Rams. With seven top draft picks apiece, the Colts and the Rams have drafted their fair share of talented rookies.
Andrew Luck, now retired of course, and Jared Goff have been two high-profile number one picks from these teams in recent years.
Which quarterback has the most passing yards in NFL history?
Answer: Drew Brees. The New Orleans Saints legend surpassed Peyton Manning’s record for total passing yards midway through the 2018 season. Ahead of the 2019 campaign, Brees has thrown for 74,437 yards in his NFL career. Without a doubt, he is one of the best ever NFL quarterbacks.
What is the biggest NFL stadium?
Answer: MetLife Stadium. Home to the New York Giants and the New York Jets, MetLife Stadium can host up to 82,500 fans for NFL matches. The stadium hosted Super Bowl XLVIII in February 2014 – the first ever in the New York metropolitan region.
*Credit for the main photo belongs to Matt Ludtke / 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.
Originating back to the 18th century in England, and evolving into its modern version in the United States in the 19th century, baseball is a game with a rich history.
Mainly associated with the US, the peak of the sport is considered to be the World Series, which is the final stage of the Major League Baseball playoffs.
Incredibly popular in Japan, South Korea and Central America too, the World Baseball Classic is a tournament that sees the best national teams in the world compete.
Trying to get into baseball and understand how it works can be daunting. We’ve made a short guide to explain some of the basics.
How Does Baseball Work?
The aim of the game is to score more runs than your opponent over the nine innings. Each inning is made up of three outs, giving teams 27 outs in a game.
A ‘half inning’ is one team’s opportunity to bat with an ‘inning’ including three outs for each team. Extra innings will be played if the scores are tied after nine innings.
Scoring a run is done by getting back to home plate after reaching base. Reaching first base can be done in numerous ways – the most common means of doing so are hits and walks.
Getting all the way round in one go is called a home run – this is usually done by hitting the ball over the fence without a bounce. If the ball bounces and then clears the fence, the hitter is awarded a double.
Team Roles In Baseball
Each team’s batting order has nine players. Depending on the league rules, sometimes a ‘designated hitter’ will be used. A designated hitter (DH) will be a player that does not field, and replaces the pitcher in the batting line-up.
This is a subject of controversy among baseball fans. In MLB, the National League does not use a DH, while the American League does. When there are interleague games, the rules of the home team are used.
With a pitcher and catcher, there are seven other fielders. These are split into infielders and outfielders. Traditionally, there will be four infielders and three outfielders, though the increase in shifting has seen this change on occasion.
Catchers are responsible not just for receiving the ball, but they also call the game. Using hand signals, catchers communicate with pitchers about what pitch to throw next and ‘set a target’ with where they place their glove.
Fielders all wear gloves. Different gloves are used depending on position, with first basemen having the largest gloves on the field and second basemen the smallest.
First basemen’s gloves are particularly large to give them extra range when looking to scoop throws and record an out.
How Are Outs Recorded In Baseball?
Hitters can be out in a lot of different ways (much like cricket), but the majority of outs are either strikeouts, flyouts or groundouts. Even the best hitters will only reach base around 45% of the time.
Batsmen have three strikes and are given a strike if they swing and miss or do not swing at a pitch inside the strikezone.
Hitters can foul the ball off (meaning they hit it and it doesn’t go into fair territory) and are given a strike for doing so, but this cannot be their third strike. If a hitter takes four balls (pitches that are outside the zone and not swung at), they can walk to first base.
Groundouts are when a forceout takes place, usually when the ball is hit to an infielder on the bounce and the ball is thrown to the first baseman before the hitter reaches the base.
It is relatively common that a double-play will be turned when a runner is on first base with less than two outs, meaning there are force outs at second and first base.
Flyouts are simple – these happen when a hitter hits the ball in the air and it is caught by a fielder. If caught by an infielder, they are sometimes referred to as popouts.
Slightly less common than the aforementioned methods, hitters can also be tagged out. This is required on the base paths if it is not a forceout situation, and will usually be seen when a hitter tries to steal a base.
Famous Names In Baseball
The most recognised name in American sport – and commonly seen baseball cap in the UK – is the New York Yankees. The 27-time World Series champions are one of the favourites to win the Fall Classic in 2019, led by superstar slugger Aaron Judge.
The Yankees’ rivalry with the Boston Red Sox is one of America’s great sporting clashes. The two teams faced off in London in the summer of 2019, playing the first ever regular season Major League Baseball game in the UK.
Two other well-known franchises, the St Louis Cardinals and Chicago Cubs, will follow in the Yankees and Red Sox’s footsteps for a two-game series at the London Stadium in 2020.
The Cubs famously ended a 108-year World Series drought in 2016. The National League MVP Kris Bryant, first baseman Anthony Rizzo and slick fielding infielder Javier Baez are the Cubbies’ stars.
Chicago have been a feature in baseball betting over the last few seasons. Their 2020 London opponents have their own perennial All-Stars in former Diamondbacks first baseman Paul Goldschmidt and cannon-armed catcher Yadier Molina.
For a sport that has been played for well over a century, baseball has a lengthy catalogue of iconic players down the years.
As in all sports, the argument over the greatest ever baseball player is lively, with current Los Angeles Angels centre fielder Mike Trout playing his way into that conversation.
Trout is well on the road to the Baseball Hall of Fame, which is located in Cooperstown. The wonderful museum includes some names familiar with sports fans such as Babe Ruth, Ty Cobb and Ted Williams.
*Credit for the main photo belongs to Mark J. Terrill / 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.
The 2019 Belgian Grand Prix takes place this weekend at Spa-Francorchamps, one of the most popular tracks on the Formula One calendar.
Back from the summer break, Lewis Hamilton is looking to rubber stamp his sixth Drivers’ Championship after an enthralling win at the Hungarian Grand Prix before the break.
Teams are still in the process of making decisions for their seats in 2020, but there was one notable move during the season’s hiatus.
Red Bull, after growing frustrated with Pierre Gasly, called up Thai-British starlet Alex Albon, sending Gasly back to Toro Rosso for the final few weeks of the campaign. Albon has the opportunity to lock himself in alongside Max Verstappen for next season.
This weekend is a big opportunity for the Ferraris to pick up their first win of the 2019 season. Sebastian Vettel is under pressure unlike he has been in his Formula One career before – the four-time world champion is 3/1 to stand atop the podium on Sunday.
We’ve got a few F1 betting tips, but let’s start with some Belgian Grand Prix history…
Belgian Grand Prix: Brief History
Away from Spa, the Belgian Grand Prix has been held in various different locations since its first Grand Prix in 1925.
Races were held in Nivelles and Zolder during the 1970s and 1980s, and the 1946 edition – the year after the Second World War had come to an end – was hosted in Bois de la Cambre.
The last Belgian Grand Prix not held at Spa was in 1984. Since then, only twice has the Belgian Grand Prix been absent from the Formula One calendar.
Once was in 2003, when there were issues with the country’s tobacco advertising laws. The second occasion was 2006, as there were major renovations being done at the track that were not completed in time to be included in the Formula One schedule.
The Belgian Grand Prix has sadly been the scene of numerous fatalities, with the fast corners and challenging conditions often contributing to accidents.
In the Formula One era, two drivers have died at the Belgian Grand Prix. Chris Bristow and Alan Stacey were two of three fatalities in the 1960 Formula One season – both drivers suffered fatal injuries in the race at Spa.
Many of the greatest ever drivers have enjoyed success at Spa. Ayrton Senna was masterful at the track, but perhaps his most famous moment was when he and Nigel Mansell took each other out of the race.
Just a few years later, a young German by the name of Michael Schumacher won his first ever race at the Belgian Grand Prix.
It was a race that Schumacher, like Senna, excelled in. The seven-time world champion passed Senna’s all-time win record at Spa, and sealed his seventh title at the famous track in 2004.
Belgian Grand Prix: Spa
Originally designed in 1920, Spa is one of the favourite circuits for both drivers and fans. The fast corners – particularly in sectors one and three – and the video-game setting in the middle of the Ardennes Forest make for spectacular racing.
The hilliness of the track provides its own challenges, while the changeable weather can cause some strategic conundrums.
Tweaks have been made to the layout of the track. Chicanes have been added and removed on a regular basis as race organisers look to maintain Spa’s old-school excitement and keep it safe.
For instance, a chicane was put in after the tragic events of Imola in 1994, but it was taken out for the 1995 race.
The original Spa circuit used public roads and was the fastest in Europe. Lifting off the throttle was rare, with corners regularly taken at well over 100 miles per hour.
Drivers were mentally fatigued quickly with the challenge of Spa, and it began to develop a reputation as a seriously dangerous track. In 1969, the Formula One drivers boycotted the race over safety concerns.
Some drivers, regardless of their individual success, were not keen on racing there any more because of the risk. Eau Rouge and Radillion is the most well-known part of the lap, testing the drivers’ judgement with limited visibility of the exit of the corner.
Leading straight into an uphill straight, misjudging that section can ruin a lap.
Belgian Grand Prix: Recent Winners
2018 – Sebastian Vettel
2017 – Lewis Hamilton
2016 – Nico Rosberg
2015 – Lewis Hamilton
2014 – Daniel Ricciardo
Belgian Grand Prix: Most Wins
6 – Michael Schumacher
5 – Ayrton Senna
4 – Jim Clark, Kimi Raikkonen
3 – Damon Hill, Juan Manuel Fangio, Lewis Hamilton, Sebastian Vettel
Belgian Grand Prix: F1 Betting Tips
It’s been a very disappointing season for Ferrari so far, but the Belgian Grand Prix represents their best chance of a victory.
The Ferrari power unit remains the best on the grid, and should give them a significant advantage over the Mercedes and Red Bulls this weekend.
Vettel hasn’t won in 12 months, and Charles Leclerc has had a season littered with misfortune and error. Vettel has enjoyed success at Spa in the past – most notably last season.
Leclerc is still looking for that elusive first race victory after having a win snatched from his grasp by Max Verstappen in Austria.
The pressure is all on Ferrari at the moment, but we shouldn’t forget about arguably the greatest driver of all-time, Lewis Hamilton.
Hamilton, like Vettel, has won on three previous occasions at Spa, and his Mercedes is the most balanced car on the grid.
Sector two will be the Mercedes opportunity to make up time on the Ferraris – the tighter corners could prove to be an issue for the Ferrari which has struggled round slower bends.
It’s not expected to be Red Bull’s weekend – this isn’t a circuit they will have highlighted as a chance of victory. But is ruling out Verstappen really a good idea?
Verstappen has been the best driver on the grid this year and was desperately unfortunate with what happened last time out. The Evens price on him to make the podium has got to be worth consideration.
Elsewhere, the Ferrari-powered Alfa Romeos of Raikkonen and Antonio Giovinazzi are ones to watch. Raikkonen has a slight muscle injury but is expected to race.
Giovinazzi has struggled to keep pace with his veteran teammate, but his 3/1 price to finish in the top 10 is good value.
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.
