World Pool Revenue Generated for UK & Irish Racecourses Surpasses £75m

World Pool, the internationally commingled betting pools hosted by the Hong Kong Jockey Club, has this season surpassed £75 million in revenue generated for UK and Irish racecourses since debuting at Royal Ascot in 2019.

World Pool’s contribution to UK and Irish racecourses stood at £65 million following the 2025 season, but that figure has now risen to over £75 million, with more fixtures and races than ever before this year.

There were 34 World Pool race days in the UK and Ireland in 2026, featuring a total of 222 races, up from 25 fixtures and 161 races in 2025. Total turnover across these UK and Irish fixtures hit a new year-on-year high of HK$7.66b, up 30% on last year’s total.

Notable turnover highlights from the 2026 World Pool season in the UK and Ireland include a record high for international (non-Hong Kong) turnover on Royal Ascot.

International turnover on the Royal meeting broke the HK$500m mark for the first time since World Pool’s debut at Ascot in 2019, with a total of HK$528.0m commingled by Hong Kong’s international partners across the 35 races, an increase of 7% on 2025.

Irish Derby Day hit a new international turnover high in 2026 with HK$53.7m commingled across nine races from the Curragh. It marked a year-on-year increase of 7% and the third successive year that turnover had increased on one of Irish racing’s biggest days.

World Pool customers in the UK and Ireland enjoyed exceptional value by betting via the Tote, with 53% of winners of World Pool races returning at a bigger price than SP, while 67% of all runners in World Pool races beat SP.

There were several notable overpays on major races, where the World Pool price far exceeded SP. Almeraq’s win in the Group 1 Queen Elizabeth II Stakes at Royal Ascot returned at World Pool win odds of 39.25 vs 25/1 SP, while Item (13.60 WP vs 10/1 SP) was another big-race overpay in the Group 1 Juddmonte International Stakes, and Alphonse Le Grande (30.25 WP vs 18/1 SP) rewarded World Pool customers in the Cesarewitch.

The highest World Pool Trifecta paid £104,688.10 to a £1 stake and came in the Listed Windsor Castle Stakes at Royal Ascot.

On all UK and Irish World Pool fixtures this year, the Tote has also offered a guarantee to match SP on any horses that return at lower World Pool odds.

Saffie Osborne proved to be a real ‘punters’ pal’ this season with 78% of her rides overpaying with World Pool.

Osborne rode 13 winners over the course of the season, with several of those being major overpays, and it proved more than enough for the Classic-winning rider to secure the 2026 World Pool Jockeys’ Championship.

Osborne finished on 186.30 points, clear of World Pool ambassador Ryan Moore (103.85) in second and Billy Loughnane (101.50) in third.

She was crowned on British Champions Day at Ascot and chose to split her £50,000 charity donation prize equally between HEROS and Lambourn Riding for the Disabled (Lambourn RDA).

There were also 26 World Pool Moment of the Day winners chosen in the UK and Ireland in 2026, with £4,000/€4,500 given away to stable staff on each occasion, meaning World Pool has given over £100,000 back to grooms and stable staff this season.

All 26 winners also enter the World Pool Moment of the Year competition and are in with the chance of winning a VIP trip for four to Hong Kong in 2027, should they be chosen as the best moment of 2026.

Jon Knapman, Head of Commingling at the Hong Kong Jockey Club, said:

“It has been another progressive year for World Pool in the UK and Ireland, with more fixtures and races than ever before being coupled with strong turnover, setting a new all-time high of HK$7.66 billion.

“We’re delighted that Royal Ascot, where World Pool began in 2019, continues to be a driver of strong turnover growth, and international turnover breaking the HK$500 million mark is an indication of the global appeal of the UK’s premier Flat meeting. We’re also pleased to report strong turnover figures in Ireland, with Irish Derby Day continuing its growth this year.

“These strong figures help provide a key funding mechanism for the sport, and we’re proud to report that World Pool revenue generated for UK and Irish racecourses since 2019 has now surpassed £75 million.

“We’re also delighted to continue to support the grassroots of the sport by giving over £100,000 to stable staff and grooms through our World Pool Moment of the Day initiative this season.

“Saffie Osborne making racing history on St Leger Day was a notable highlight of this season and her consistent brilliance in the saddle made her a highly deserving World Pool Jockeys’ Championship winner. We now look forward to welcoming Saffie, alongside other riders from the UK and Ireland to Hong Kong next month.”