Edited Press Release
World Pool, the largest commingled horse racing pools created and powered by the Hong Kong Jockey Club (HKJC), will be in operation at Epsom for a third year on Derby Day on Saturday, June 3.
All eight races on Betfred Derby Day will be commingled, including the feature G1 Betfred Derby, G3 Diomed S., G3 Princess Elizabeth S. and Epsom Dash H. There will be seven bet types available–win, place, quinella, quinella place (swinger), forecast (exacta), tierce (trifecta) and treble (pick the winner in three selected races)–and all bets from 28 countries will be commingled into World Pool.
The Derby, which posted the highest single-race turnover for any World Pool race in 2022 with HK$66.1million (£6.74m), will start at an earlier time than usual (13:30 British Summer Time) to avoid the clash with the FA Cup Final between Manchester City and Manchester United.
Michael Fitzsimons, Executive Director, Wagering Products, at the Hong Kong Jockey Club, said, “For the last two years we've seen strong betting turnover on Derby Day, as well as good growth from 2021 to 2022, so we're looking forward to another big day for World Pool on Saturday.
“The Derby is a race that captivates the imagination of racing fans worldwide and with this season's renewal attracting a big field and the chance to witness Frankie Dettori's last ever ride in the famous race, we hope it will again prove popular with people betting into World Pool. It will also be interesting to see how the earlier start time affects turnover.”
Alex Frost, Chief Executive of the UK Tote Group and Racecourse Board Member of Epsom Downs, said, “Being the most important Flat race of the whole year, the Derby attracts a global audience, and it is fantastic that the meeting will once again be a World Pool event. With 28 pool betting operators now part of World Pool, and a competitive and open field for this year's feature race, the Tote will be providing huge pools and exciting opportunities for incredible value for our customers.
“Last year's Derby meeting saw £28.9 million bet into pools with over £6.7 million bet on the Derby. The UK Tote provided excellent value with an online overround of only 104%, versus an SP of 115%, with the Tote+ Win price beating the SP in every race. For every racing fan looking for the best odds, the Tote is the place to bet on Derby Day, while the sport will benefit from the additional income generated by World Pool. We wish everyone the best of luck for a safe and successful day.”
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