Five sporting stars of the year so far

We’re just over halfway through 2023, with many memorable moments in the world of British sport to reflect on.

With the race for the Sports Personality Of The Year award wide open, we take a look at some of this year’s sporting stars and their chances of winning the coveted award.

Frankie Dettori

Frankie Dettori is in his final season as a jockey and hasn’t disappointed in picking up multiple notable wins in his farewell season. Considered by some to be the greatest flat racing jockey of all time, the Italian legend has made his final season one to remember.

Dettori’s first major triumph of the season came at Newmarket where he rode the Andrew Balding trained Chaldean to victory in the 2000 Guineas; a remarkable ride on a horse which has failed to impress since.

Next up for Frankie was the Epsom Derby meeting, a happy hunting ground for the Italian. He rode the winner in two of the three major races as he saw the legend Emily Upjohn over the line to win the Coronation Cup, followed by victory on Soul Sister in the Epsom Oaks later that day.

Next up was his farewell to Royal Ascot in style where he signed off in typical Dettori style as he won the Ascot Gold cup for a mind-blowing ninth time as he rode Courage Mon Ami to victory.

With many big races still to come in the flat season, Dettori could continue to strengthen his position as the favourite for Sports Personality Of The Year, which he is currently 11/4 to win.

Ben Stokes

Ben Stokes’ ability to completely reinvent Test match cricket and capture the imagination of an entire nation deserves an award in itself, and the England test captain is currently second in the market at 4/1 for the award.

Stokes has personified England’s new ‘Bazball’ approach to Test cricket which involves fast-paced, exciting play designed to put the onus on the opposition to react to England’s play. This new form of test cricket got off to a flying start dominating some of the world’s best when beating New Zealand 3-0 in last year’s Test match series, and the trend has continued in 2023.

Having faltered to a 2-0 deficit in the ongoing Ashes series some started to question Stokes’ side and their approach. Stokes was the standout performer in these losses with his best contribution coming in the form of a 155-run innings in the second test.

England were back to their best in the third Test and have clawed their way back into the series, needing two wins from two to win the Ashes. If they can pull it off under Ben Stokes’ captaincy, the face of English cricket will have a strong case for the Sports Personality Of The Year award.

Alessia Russo

Alessia Russo is one of the biggest names in Women’s football at the moment and has recently been subject to one of the most groundbreaking transfers in Women’s Super League History after joining Arsenal from Manchester United for free following previous record-breaking bids worth upwards of £400,000.

In 2022 Russo was a star in England’s European Championship triumph and with a World Cup to look forward to this summer you can expect to see Russo leading the line in what looks to be an exciting England team with a serious chance at lifting the trophy.

Russo is currently the leading female contender for the Sports Personality Of The Year award at 14/1, and if England can make a run into the latter stages Russo will surely be at the heart of the action, which could see her odds shorten dramatically.

Zharnel Hughes

Zharnel Hughes is not one of the traditional British athletics heavyweights alongside the likes of Mo Farah and Jessica Ennis-Hill, but the talented sprinter is having a year to remember and is starting to turn a few heads.

Hughes’ rise to prominence has amplified in the recent months, with his biggest break coming in June when he made the headlines for breaking the British 100m record after recording a time of 9.83 at the New York Grand Prix – taking the title of Britain’s fastest ever sprinter from former Olympic champion Linford Christie.

Hughes has since completed the 100m and 200m double at the UK Athletics Championships and is now eyeing up the World Athletics Championships. Should he be able to bring home a gold medal in one of the 100m or 200m races, he would certainly have a case for the Sports Personality Of The Year award, for which he is 22/1 to do so.

Rory McIlroy

Rory McIlroy has been one of Britain’s biggest sporting stars for over a decade, but now without a Major win since 2014, the Northern Irishman is more motivated than ever to make this year his year.

Three out of four Major chances have been and gone already this year for McIlroy but there are many positives to take as he finished T7 in the PGA Championship and outright second in the most recent of the three Majors – the US Open.

McIlroy will return to the scene of his last Major win next week as The Open takes place at Royal Liverpool Golf Club where McIlroy was victorious back in 2014. If Rory can secure another success at Royal Liverpool it will be a momentous occasion for British golf. With the world number three already as high as sixth in the market for Sports Personality Of The Year, at odds of 20/1, an end to the long wait for another Major victory would capture the imagination of the British public and seriously boost his chances of landing the award.