Royal Ascot World Pool turnover climbs 10% year-on-year
Commingled betting on Royal Ascot 2025 rose to HK$1,574.4 million across the five-day meeting, driven by a record second day, according to organisers.
World Pool betting turnover on Royal Ascot reached HK$1,574.4 million (around £150 million) for the 2025 meeting, up 10% on the previous year, according to figures released by the organisers behind the commingled betting product.
The rise was underpinned by a record Wednesday, with Day 2 turnover hitting HK$330.7 million, the highest recorded for that day since World Pool coverage of Royal Ascot began in 2019. Turnover was ahead of 2024 levels on every day of the meeting. The figures remain slightly below the all-time high set in 2022, when turnover reached HK$1,609.1 million, a total organisers attribute in part to pandemic-era betting patterns.
Overpays and standout results
World Pool bettors saw dividends outperform UK starting price across several bet types during the week. Win dividends beat SP in 20 of the 35 races, Exacta beat Forecast in 23 races, and Trifecta beat Tricast in 24 races. The biggest Win overpay of the meeting came in the Sandringham Stakes, where Never Let Go paid 30.35 against an SP of 22/1.
Sam Nati, Head of Commingling at the Hong Kong Jockey Club, said turnover had held up well against the elevated 2022 baseline and that World Pool continued to deliver value through dividends that consistently beat local SP. He also pointed to strong field quality and international participation among horses and jockeys.
Felicity Barnard, Chief Executive at Ascot Racecourse, said the meeting had again showcased British racing to an international audience, while Alex Frost, Chief Executive of the UK Tote Group, highlighted races featuring internationally recognised runners, including the Hardwicke Stakes win for Rebel’s Romance and a close second for Satono Reve in the Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes, which saw turnover uplifts of 40% and 20% respectively.
Jockeys’ Championship and grooms’ awards
Oisin Murphy took an early lead in the World Pool Jockeys’ Championship with four winners across the week, finishing on 114.40 points. Kieran Shoemark moved into second on 63.55 points after a win aboard Jersey Stakes victor Noble Champion, which returned the biggest World Pool win odds of the meeting at 33.20. Ryan Moore finished as top rider by winner count with seven, placing him third on the table with 52.60 points, ahead of Billy Lee and Gary Carroll.
A World Pool Moment of the Day award was presented on each day of the meeting, with £20,000 distributed to winning grooms across the five races, each receiving £4,000 and entry into a competition offering a VIP trip to Hong Kong next year.
The next fixture on the World Pool calendar is Irish Derby Day at the Curragh, followed by further meetings in South Africa, Germany and the UK through July and August.