World Pool's contribution to British and Irish racecourses has surpassed £50 million since its inception in 2019, the Hong Kong Jockey Club (HKJC) announced on Thursday.
A total of 580 races across nine different tracks in the UK and Ireland have been globally commingled by the HKJC since the World Pool's inaugural fixture at Royal Ascot in 2019, with the Curragh, Epsom Downs, Goodwood, Leopardstown, Newbury, Newmarket, Sandown Park and York all hosting World Pool racedays.
Since its inauguration, the number of World Pool races has increased dramatically, from 30 races held at Royal Ascot in 2019 to 135 races held across the nine different racecourses this year. The landmark £50 million figure comes as World Pool builds towards its final fixture of the 2024 British and Irish Flat season at Ascot this Saturday on QIPCO British Champions Day.
Michael Fitzsimons, Executive Director, Wagering Products at the HKJC, said, “World Pool has come such a long way since we first launched at Royal Ascot in 2019. It's been incredibly rewarding to see how much it has grown over the past six years and everyone at the Hong Kong Jockey Club is thrilled to see so much money going back into racing in so many different ways.
“As World Pool continues to grow its presence and popularity, further investment will flow back into the sport, continuing to boost prize money, which in turn should have a positive impact on the size and quality of fields. Healthy field sizes and high-quality racing is what grabs the attention and interest of punters across the globe.”
In addition, the HKJC and partners have helped fund the World Pool Moment of the Day initiative for the past three seasons, which supports racing's grassroots by giving back to grooms. Each Moment of the Day winning groom receives a £4,000 cash prize and is also in with a chance of a VIP trip to Hong Kong.
The inaugural World Pool UK & Ireland Jockeys' Championship was also launched this year, with the winning rider receiving £50,000 to donate to a charity of his or her choice. Points are awarded based on the World Pool win dividend for every World Pool race in the UK and Ireland. With one meeting left to go, Billy Loughnane (187.50 points) has a commanding lead over his nearest pursuer, Oisin Murphy (97.25).
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