Rugby Union: Chris Ashton has refused to give up hopes of an England recall, despite his latest lengthy suspension curtailing any slim chances of November Test action. The Saracens wing was last week banned for 13 weeks for biting Northampton’s Alex Waller. The 29-year-old said he will contest the matter no longer, instead focusing on fighting for a future in the Test arena. “My clear ambition is first to regain my place at Saracens and then to regain my place in the England side,” said Ashton. “It may seem a long journey back but I will do everything to get back to where, in my heart, I feel I belong.”

[attach id=535067 size="medium"][/attach]

Horse Racing: Frankie Dettori (picture) is back on the search for a ride in Sunday’s Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe after his intended mount Fascinating Rock was ruled out of the race. Dettori, who would be seeking a fifth win in 12-furlong feature, had only been booked by trainer Dermot Weld for the 2015 Champion Stakes winner on Monday. However, after a gallop yesterday, Weld informed Dettori’s agent Ray Cochrane that Fascinating Rock would not be travelling to Chantilly.

Baseball: Miami Marlins lead-off hitter Dee Gordon honoured former pitcher Jose Fernandez by hitting a home run in his team’s first at-bat in an emotionally charged 7-3 victory over the New York Mets on Monday. The 24-year-old Fernandez, a two-time All Star and 2013 National League Rookie of the Year, was killed early on Sunday in a boating accident, prompting an outpouring of grief around baseball.

Speed Skating: EU regulators have told the International Skating Union (ISU) that its threat to impose lifetime bans on speed skaters for taking part in unauthorised events is anti-competitive, putting pressure on the ruling body and other agencies with similar penalties to back down. The European Commission’s action came after a year-long investigation following complaints by Dutch Olympic speed skaters Mark Tuitert and Niels Kerstholt. The skaters said the sport’s governing body had threatened to bar athletes from ISU events if they compete in big-money Ice Derby events run by a South Korean company.

Sign up to our free newsletters

Get the best updates straight to your inbox:
Please select at least one mailing list.

You can unsubscribe at any time by clicking the link in the footer of our emails. We use Mailchimp as our marketing platform. By subscribing, you acknowledge that your information will be transferred to Mailchimp for processing.