World Pool returns to the UK and Ireland on Saturday 3 May, with 2000 Guineas Day from Newmarket, a fixture which also marks the start of the World Pool Jockeys’ Championship for a second year.
Points will be awarded based on the World Pool dividend to the winning riders of all UK and Irish World Pool races across the season, beginning on 2000 Guineas Day and ending on British Champions Day at Ascot on 18 October.
Last year Billy Loughnane won the inaugural edition of the World Pool Jockeys’ Championship, finishing with 187.50 points, over 90 points clear of second-placed Oisin Murphy. This victory was significantly helped by his winning ride on Rashabar in the Coventry Stakes at Royal Ascot, which returned at 129.90 with World Pool, compared with an industry SP of 80/1. Loughnane chose to give the £50,000 prize to The Christy Lambe Foundation, which helps to support community-driven mental health action.
This season sees a new fixture and more races added to the World Pool fixture calendar. All races on this season’s Lockinge Stakes Day (17 May) card from Newbury will be hosted via World Pool, while the first Irish World Pool fixture of 2025 will be a new one with Irish 2000 Guineas Day (24 May) from the Curragh set to be globally pooled for the first time.
The G1 Irish 2000 Guineas has been featured in the International Federation of Horseracing Authorities’ (IFHA) Top 100 Group 1 races for the past two years, and World Pool’s continued aim is to showcase as many of these prestigious races as possible to its global customers.
Following Irish 2000 Guineas Day, World Pool will also be in operation on the following day from the Curragh for Tattersalls Gold Cup Day before heading back to the UK for Derby Stakes Day from Epsom on 7 June.
This year’s Royal Ascot will mark six years since World Pool’s inauguration at the Royal Meeting in 2019 and once again all 35 races across the five days will be part of World Pool.
World-leading jockey Ryan Moore has been signed as a World Pool ambassador for 2025 and will provide insight into his rides on World Pool racedays as well as some of the biggest topics in racing.
Last year, Moore’s victory aboard the Aidan O’Brien-trained City Of Troy in the Derby was named as a World Pool Moment of the Day, with groom David Hickey winning the £4,000 prize.
The victory was then shortlisted and ultimately chosen as the World Pool Moment of the Year, with Hickey enjoying a VIP trip to Hong Kong later this year.
All UK and Irish World Pool days featuring five or more races will see a Moment of the Day chosen and the winning groom receive a cheque for £4,000/€4,500.
Since 2019, World Pool has contributed over £50 million to British and Irish racecourses which will continue to grow through 2025. The 2024 season saw total turnover rise to HK$4.6bn (approx. £455m).
Sam Nati, Head of Commingling at the Hong Kong Jockey Club, said: “The British and Irish Flat season provides some of the finest racing action around the world, with the Classics on both sides of the Irish Sea steeped in history and Royal Ascot the jewel in the crown for our overseas customers with World Pool in action for all five days.
“Once again, we have strengthened our offering for the 2025 UK and Irish season, with new World Pool races added on Lockinge Day and the Irish 2000 Guineas debuting as a World Pool day, while we’re sure racing fans all over the world will be keen to hear the thoughts of our ambassador Ryan Moore ahead of some of the biggest fixtures in global racing.
“We’re also delighted to be welcoming back the World Pool Jockeys’ Championship for a second year and look forward to again crowning the leading rider on British Champions Day at Ascot in October.”
Alex Frost, Chief Executive of the UK Tote Group, said: “It’s enormously exciting to be in the early stages of what we hope will be another compelling flat season of top-class racing in the UK and Ireland. With so many of our best days now an established part of the World Pool calendar, everyone at the Tote is looking forward to collaborating with our UK and international partners to showcase the value of World Pool to racing fans while maximising the benefits it can bring to the sport.”
Customers betting with the Tote on UK and Irish World Pool days in 2024 enjoyed exceptional value:
Tote Win beat the Industry Starting Price in 55% of races and matched on the remaining occasions, returning on average 9% more.
A £1 stake on every British and Irish winner with World Pool generated £207.86 compared to the same bet at Industry SP.
Tote Win overround was 112% versus an industry Starting Price of 120%.
Tote Exacta beat Forecast in 84% of races, returning on average 37% more.
Tote Trifecta beat Tricast in 84% of races where the Tricast operated, returning on average 59% more.
Nick Mills, Chief Executive Officer of Racecourse Media Group (RMG), which represents the media interests of The Jockey Club, Goodwood, and York Racecourses, said: “The return of the World Pool schedule to the UK and Ireland from Saturday signals an exciting period for RMG and our racecourses – and we look forward to working in tandem with HKJC and UKTG in further growing revenues and global interest in the sport."
Brian Kavanagh, Chief Executive of the Curragh Racecourse, said: “The Curragh very much values our relationship with World Pool which started with the Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby in 2023 and has developed since then. This year for the first time the Tattersalls Irish 2000 Guineas meeting on May 24th will be a World Pool event and we look forward to an excellent day’s racing. The World Pool focusses on the best races in in the world and this year we are delighted that four Curragh dates will be included.”
Upcoming World Pool fixtures include:
May
Saturday 3: South Australian Derby Day – Morphettville Racecourse, Australia (P)
Saturday 3: 2000 Guineas Day – Newmarket Racecourse, UK (F)
Saturday 17: Doomben 10000 Day – Doomben Racecourse, Australia (P)
Saturday 17: Lockinge Stakes Day – Newbury Racecourse, UK (F)
Saturday 24: Doomben Cup Day – Doomben Racecourse, Australia (P)
Saturday 24: Irish 2000 Guineas Day – Curragh Racecourse, Ireland (F)
Sunday 25: Champions and Chater Cup – Sha Tin Racecourse, Hong Kong (S)
Sunday 25: Tattersalls Gold Cup Day – Curragh Racecourse, Ireland (P)
June
Saturday 7: Gold Challenge Day – Greyville Racecourse, South Africa (P)
Saturday 7: Derby Stakes Day – Epsom Racecourse, UK (F)
Saturday 14: Stradbroke Handicap Day – Eagle Farm Racecourse, Australia (P)
Tuesday 17: Queen Anne Stakes Day – Ascot Racecourse, UK (F)
Wednesday 18: Prince of Wales’s Stakes Day – Ascot Racecourse, UK (F)
Thursday 19: Gold Cup Day – Ascot Racecourse, UK (F)
Friday 20: Commonwealth Cup Day – Ascot Racecourse, UK (F)
Saturday 21: Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes Day – Ascot Racecourse, UK (F)
Sunday 29: Irish Derby Day – Curragh Racecourse, Ireland (F)
(Dates on the above fixtures list are based on Hong Kong time zone GMT+8.)
*F: Full meeting - World Pool coverage on all races in the relevant meeting
P: Part meeting - World Pool coverage only on selected races in the relevant meeting
S: Single race - World Pool coverage only on this race in the relevant meeting
dingnews.com 01/05/2025