FROM Joe Cole to Brigadier Douglas Erskine-Crum, what wonderful variety we boast in this English sporting summer, which has reached its zenith with the solstice being swiftly followed by Ladies' Day at Royal Ascot. And with Wimbledon and the Henley Regatta to come, it's just as well there will be no croquet at deserted Dorneywood.

The brigadier - or should we call him Doug? - carries considerable clout at Ascot and has done his bit to make sure it concentrates on providing the best racing in Europe rather than being a beauty contest.

But the filly with the longest legs was surely Jodie Kidd, who was pictured towering above Willie Carson, even though the squeaky-voiced ex-jockey wore the taller hat. Jodie looked as though she would have been more at home among the boutiques of Baden Baden.

Contrary to some predictions in the wake of the Wembley fiasco, Ascot's £200m revamp, which obliged it to decamp to York last year, came in on time and on budget, much to the delight of the Queen. In declaring the course open, she said: "The many people and organisations who have contributed to the redevelopment project, within such a challenging time scale, have my admiration and gratitude." What does one make of the Australians so far behind schedule at Wembley?

TALKING of Jodie Kidd, no doubt she'll pitch up again at the ridiculous pro-celebrity golf event at St Andrews in October, where she was once paired with Colin Montgomerie. If they meet again the sight of the model's legs might finally bring a smile to poor old Monty's face after the agony of his US Open failure was compounded by the usual unkind references to his behaviour.

After he pushed aside a policeman who impeded his path away from the 18th green a statement was issued saying there had been "a collision", which is how we were always taught to report car crashes so as not to apportion blame.

He was also reported to have thrown his tee peg at a 12-year-old boy who had moved on the 17th tee, and to have snubbed the presentation ceremony, although he had been given permission to do so in order to catch his flight.

Monty is 43 today and people have won majors beyond that age, although not usually their first. He said he was inbetween clubs for the shot into the 72nd green, and any golfer knows that indecision is fatal. He switched from a six iron to a seven because of the adrenalin factor, but people who win majors tend to be the ones with total self-control.

Until Phil Mickelson won his first Masters he and Monty were the most talented golfers never to have won a major, and as the left-hander had looked so impeccable in winning the last two it was a much greater surprise that he should implode at the last.

But that merely gives Monty all the more reason to chuck all his tee pegs around and barge into any state trooper within collision range. He will probably never have a better chance, although I sincerely hope he does if only because his Ryder Cup efforts have proved he deserves to be bracketed with the best.

Sadly, he has probably extinguished any goodwill he had regained with the American crowds, but they appear to have taken to Ashington's Ken Ferrie, whose Superman belt buckle caused much amusement in the final round. He also suggested Mickelson's bag should be checked to make sure there was no kryptonite in it.

THE muddled thinking on the tour of Australia has done nothing for England's build-up towards what looks like being a very shaky defence of the Rugby World Cup next year. It also continues to beg the question of whether Andy Robinson is the right man to be in charge.

He appears to have been torn between giving a game to the tried and tested, such as Andy Goode and Jamie Noon, and developing the undoubted talent of the likes of Mathew Tait.

He has said that Tait's future is at outside centre, so why move him to the wing to accommodate Noon, who has shown himself to be just about good enough for international rugby, but no star in the making? Goode is no more than an honest plodder and to prefer him to Olly Barkley, who needs more chances to prove his pedigree, was ridiculous.

The Australians were delighted that Jonny Wilkinson wasn't playing, and unless he's back at his best for the World Cup it could be a very tame defence indeed.

THE selection of Dwain Chambers for next week's European Cup in Malaga is depressing not so much for coming so soon after the completion of his two-year doping ban as for confirming the lack of alternative sprinting talent.

That he was able to return at Gateshead recently and immediately beat under-achieving baton-droppers like Mark Lewis-Francis gave the selectors the opportunity to sweep any ethical arguments under the carpet on the basis of picking the best performers