Gary Lemke looks back at a jam-packed sporting weekend as the Premier League title race will be decided on the final day, as Richard Fourie extended his incredible record at Hollywoodbets Greyville.
EPL (STILL) GOING DOWN TO THE WIRE
The two English Premier League heavyweights kept throwing bombs but both are upright with one week left in the season. If Man Man City beat Tottenham on Tuesday and West Ham on Saturday they’ll be champions. If they don’t win both and Arsenal beat Everton, then the Gunners will be champions. Arsenal are two points ahead, after a professional 1-0 win at Old Trafford on Sunday, but City have the game in hand, at Spurs.
Whose boots would you rather be in? The side with points on the board, or a game in hand? The latest betting still has City at odds-on and Arsenal at 9/4. At the other end, you can safely say that Sheffield United, Burnley and Luton will be playing in the Championship next season.
MARTIN EXTENDS MOTOGP LEAD
Jorge Martin joined Francesco Bagnaia as a two-time winner out of the five MotoGP races that have taken place this season when he led home Marc Marquez and Bagnaia to win the Grand Prix de France at the Bugatti Circuit. Martin’s winning margin was officially 0.446sec, with Bagnaia beaten by 0.585sec. Brad Binder in 8th, some 10.353sec behind, was again the first non-Spaniard or Italian home. He’s also 7th on the overall standings heading to Catalunya in a fortnight, with Martin leading Bagnaia.
We witnessed an incredible record attendance of 297,471 fans this weekend so a HUGE 🫡 to those who were here to support our boys!
— Red Bull KTM Factory Racing (@KTM_Racing) May 12, 2024
We 🫶 @motogp!#KTM #ReadyToRace #FrenchGP 🇫🇷 pic.twitter.com/d1dSsWB9tW
KNIGHT RIDERS SHOW WAY IN IPL FINAL WEEK
We’re nearly there. This is the final week of Indian Premier League “round robin” matches ahead of the playoffs starting on the 21st of May. Kolkata’s Knight Riders currently lead the table from Rajasthan Royals. Abhishek Sharma, of fourth-placed Sunrisers Hyderabad, has struck the most sixes (35) in a competition made for the batters, with Heinrich Klaasen (31) fourth on that list. The latest betting has KKR favourites from the Royals, Sunrisers and Chennai’s Super Kings seemingly the only other team in championship contention.
With a 'Q' to their name, #KKR stand tall at the 🔝 of the points table 💜
— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) May 12, 2024
Time is running out for the others to qualify for the #TATAIPL playoffs‼️@KKRiders pic.twitter.com/j03BMgSJMU
THREE OUT OF FOUR FOR SA FRANCHISES
The Hollywoodbets Sharks again showed their Jekyll ’n Hyde character when they contrived to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory against Benetton, which left them in 12th of the 16 teams on the United Rugby Championship log. And, for the umpteenth time, or so it seems, another game involving a South African team finished with a one-point difference. This time the Sharks were on the wrong side of the 25-24 defeat to Benetton.
The Sharks were leading 24-18 with under two minutes remaining. However, the Bulls (40-34 over the log-leaders Glasgow Warriors), Lions (34-13 winners against Cardiff) and the Stormers (beating the Dragons 44-21) meant that large swathes of the country were in celebratory mood. With two rounds left, the Bulls are 4th, the Stormers 5th, the Lions 10th and the Sharks 12th.
The tension is rising... 🥵
— BKT United Rugby Championship (URC) (@URCOfficial) May 12, 2024
Who's going to secure play-off spots? 👀#BKTURC #URC | #RaceToTheEight pic.twitter.com/ey4o2KQJ6C
FOURIE CONTINUES MARCH TOWARDS RECORD
Richard Fourie continued his seemingly unstoppable charge towards breaking Anthony Delpech’s season-record 334 when he booted home four winners at Hollywoodbets Greyville on Saturday and one at Turffontein on Sunday. That took him to 292, and closing in on the initial target of 300 that he’d set himself at the beginning of the season. One of his wins came aboard Future Swing in the World Sports Betting 1900, which is a race historically seen as a pointer towards the Hollywoodbets Durban July. Future Swing shortened to 10/1 fifth favourite with the sponsors for the country’s biggest race, having been 25/2 before the gates opened on Saturday.
Cape-bred and trained ROYAL AUSSIE and Richard Fourie dug deep and held on to win the official opener of the KZN Champions Season, the Independent on Saturday Drill Hall Stakes (Grade 2) at Hollywoodbets Greyville this afternoon.#caperacing @SnaithRacing @KlawervleiJohn pic.twitter.com/kaUdB0UJJ4
— caperacing (@caperacing1) May 8, 2024
AROUND THE WATER COOLER…
Rory McIlroy posted an imperious final round 65 to win the PGA Tour’s Wells Fargo Championship by five shots over Xander Schauffele, with Christiaan Bezuidenhout the leading South African challenge in tie 16th … Ernie Els finished tied for third behind Doug Barron in the first Seniors golf Major of the year … Manchester United won the women’s English FA Cup when they hammered Tottenham 4-0 in the final at Wembley … We’re no closer to knowing who will be the third club being promoted to the EPL after both Championship first leg semi-finals finished 0-0 … South Africa’s “Baby Boks” closed off their World U20 campaign with a thrilling 30-28 win over Argentina, while New Zealand won the title, beating Australia 36-25.
Rory McIlroy has just gone birdie, birdie, eagle, par, par, birdie to steam into a 4 shot lead at the Wells Fargo. There’s no better site in golf than Rory in full flow. He just makes it look so damn easy!pic.twitter.com/n3dLl1fY2s
— Flushing It (@flushingitgolf) May 12, 2024
