Run annually, on the first Saturday in May, over a mile and a quarter at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky, the Kentucky Derby is, of course, the first leg of the American Triple Crown. The race was established in 1875 and, although contested over a mile and a half until 1896, has been run without interruption ever since. Fillies receive a 5lb weight-for-sex allowance from colts but, even so, in 149 renewals of ‘The Run for the Roses’, just three have managed to beat their male counterparts.
The first to do so was Regret on May 8, 1915. Bred and owned by Harry Whitney, trained by James Rowe Sr. and well ridden by Joseph ‘Joe’ Notter, Regret made all the running and drew clear in the closing stages to win, eased down, by two lengths. According to Martin ‘Matt’ Winn, President of Churchill Downs, the Kentucky Derby ‘needed only a victory by Regret [who was based in New York] to create for us some coast-to-coast publicity, and Regret did not fail us.’
It was not until 65 years later, on May 3, 1980, that another filly won the Kentucky Derby. The filly in question was Genuine Risk, bred and owned by Diana Firestone, trained by LeRoy Jolley and ridden by Jacinto Vásquez. Settled early, Genuine Risk made ground approaching the half-mile marker and took command in the home straight, beating Rumbo by a length. She remains the only filly to finish in the money in all three Triple Crown races, subsequently finishing second, under controversial circumstances, in the Preakness Stakes and second again in the Belmont Stakes.
Last, but by no means least, on the short list of winning fillies is Winning Colors, who enjoyed her 15 minutes – or, rather, 2 minutes and 2.2 seconds – of fame on May 7, 1988. Owned by Eugene Klein, trained by Darrell Lukas and ridden by Gary Stevens, she, too, made all the running and held on grimly close home to win by a neck. She, too, contested the Preakness Stakes and Belmont Stakes, finishing third in behind Risen Star in the former, but unplaced behind the same rival in the latter.
Cristiano Ronaldo, the football phenomenon, etched his name into the annals of UEFA Champions League history with an awe-inspiring display of goal-scoring brilliance in a single season. Picture this: the 2013-2014 campaign, Ronaldo adorned in the illustrious white jersey of Real Madrid, embarked on a mesmerising journey that left spectators and analysts dumbfounded, jaws agape.
With an insatiable hunger for goals and an unmatched fusion of lightning-fast speed, balletic agility, and surgical precision, Ronaldo morphed into an unstoppable force. Like a tempest unleashed, he launched a relentless barrage of shots that seemingly defied the laws of physics, leaving goalkeepers trembling and defenders bewildered.
As the season unfolded, Ronaldo’s goal-scoring extravaganza spiralled into an astonishing display of audacity and dominance. Goal after goal, match after match, he unleashed an unrelenting assault on opposition nets, defying the boundaries of what was deemed possible. The net bulged under the sheer force of his strikes, as if paying homage to his unrivalled skills.
When the dust settled, Ronaldo’s remarkable tally stood at an astonishing 17 goals. With each net-rattling thunderbolt, he obliterated records, casting a shadow over those who came before him and setting an unprecedented benchmark for the epitome of goal-scoring greatness in the UEFA Champions League.
Yet, Ronaldo’s record-breaking triumph transcends mere numbers; it symbolises the relentless pursuit of excellence that defines his very being. It speaks volumes of his unwavering dedication, the tireless hours spent honing his craft, and an unquenchable thirst to be the best. It’s a testament to his unyielding spirit, the unwavering belief in his own abilities, and a fearlessness that elevates him above the rest.
In a stunning turn of events, Michael Smith emerged victorious as the champion of the 2023 PDC World Darts Championship. Facing off against the formidable Michael van Gerwen in the final, Smith showcased his prowess, prevailing with a scoreline of 7-4. What truly set this match apart was the electrifying moment when Smith achieved the tournament’s sole nine-dart finish. The audience erupted in awe as he accomplished this feat during a crucial juncture of the final.
Smith’s triumph held profound significance as it marked his inaugural world title and propelled him to the esteemed position of world number one on the PDC Order of Merit. Notably, he became the first player in history to clinch the World Darts Championship after experiencing a first-round defeat the previous year. This remarkable achievement solidified Smith’s name in darting history.
The final clash between Smith and van Gerwen epitomised an extraordinary display of skill and drama, leading broadcasters and commentators to hail it as the greatest leg ever witnessed in the annals of darts. Smith’s remarkable nine-dart finish in the final echoed the reminiscent brilliance of Phil Taylor’s historic achievement in 2010.
Prior to this landmark victory, Smith had come close to securing major titles in the past, most notably reaching the final of the World Matchplay in 2019, only to be denied by Peter Wright. Consequently, his triumph at the World Darts Championship represented a long-awaited breakthrough.
While Michael van Gerwen had reigned for some time, Smith’s performance knocked him off his perch. This victory was massive, especially given that he was ranked 11th in the world at the time.
Beyond the individual triumph, Smith’s victory reverberated throughout British darts, igniting a renewed sense of pride and enthusiasm. This is a title that has not been won by a British player since 2015, that title was won by Gary Anderson. What this means is that Smith firmly put his name up in lights with his win.
Smith’s remarkable journey to claim the 2023 PDC World Darts Championship will be remembered as a captivating underdog story and a testament to his unwavering dedication and talent. His accomplishment is sure to inspire aspiring players across the nation, as British darts looks toward an exciting future filled with possibilities.
The late Shane Warne, who died of a heart attack – caused by atherosclerosis, or narrowing of the arteries – on March 4, 2022, aged 52, was one of the finest bowlers in cricket history. He was credited with single-handedly resurrecting the ‘lost’ art of leg-spin bowling, which yielded 708 wickets in Test cricket and another 293 in One Day Internationals, at an average of 25.41 and 25.73, respectively.
Born in Upper Ferntree Gully, a suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, on September 13, 1969, Warne made an inauspicious Test debut, taking 1-150 off 45 overs in the first innings of a drawn match against India at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) in January, 1992. However, British cricket fans were given their first glimpse of the young Victorian when he made his Ashes debut, aged 23, in the first Test of the Australia tour of England at Old Trafford, Manchester on June 4, 1993. England won the toss and elected to field and, on day two, were 80-1 in pursuit of Australia’s first innings total of 289 all out, with captain Graham Gooch and Mike Gatting at the crease, when Warne came on to bowl from the Warwick Road End.
Gatting, renowned as a skilled player of spin, was on strike for what match commentator Richie Benaud, almost clairvoyantly, introduced as the ‘first ball in Test cricket in England for Shane Warne’. What followed was later described by Anil Kumble, the most successful Indian bowler in history, as ‘a perfect delivery for any legspinner, or any spinner for that matter’. The so-called ‘Ball of the Century’ drifted across Gatting, pitching, apparently harmlessly, well outside the leg stump, but ripped back two and half feet, past the outside edge, to clip the top of the off stump. A bewildered Gatting stood momentarily at the crease, oblivious to exactly what had happened, before consulting umpire Ken Palmer and trudging off.
Historically, ‘even fours’ or, in other words, a total of 72, became the unofficial standard for stroke play scoring on an 18-hole golf course long before Scottish-born architect Alister MacKenzie incorporated the idea into his design of Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Georgia during the Great Depression. Today, a symmetrical balance of holes – that is, four par-3s, 10 par-4s and four-par-5s – with distance balanced, more or less, between the front and back nines, remains the most common configuration for an 18-hole golf course, championship or otherwise.
Consequently, longer, par-6 or even par-7, golf holes remain a curiosity for most golfers, especially for those in the professional ranks. They do, of course, exist; although not ‘officially’ tackled by professionals, the longest hole in the world is the 1,098-yard, par-7 third hole on the Jeongeup Course at the Gunsan Country Club in North Jeolla Province, South Korea. Professionals on the various tours in Europe and the United States get off lightly, by comparison, but still have to do their fair share of yomping from time to time.
On the PGA Tour, the longest hole played, so far, was the 690-yard, par-5 ninth hole on the North Course at The Gallery Golf Club in Marana, Arizona during the 1991 Tucson Open; the tournament was won by 21-year-old amateur Phil Mickelson. On the Korn Ferry Tour, the developmental tour for the PGA Tour, TPC Colorado, home of The Ascendant, features the longest par-5 in professional golf, the 773-yard thirteenth hole, aptly named ‘Longer Still’. The grandaddy of them all, though, is reserved for players on the European Challenge Tour. In the 2019 D+D Real Slovakian Challenge on the Legends course at Penati Golf Resort in Senica, Slovakia, the par-6 fifteenth hole measured 783 yards, making it the longest hole in professional golf.