World Pool betting tops £75m in revenue for UK and Irish racecourses
World Pool, the commingled betting pools hosted by the Hong Kong Jockey Club, has generated more than £75 million for UK and Irish racecourses since its 2019 debut at Royal Ascot, with turnover at a new high in the 2026 season.
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World Pool, the internationally commingled betting pools hosted by the Hong Kong Jockey Club (HKJC), has now generated more than £75 million in revenue for UK and Irish racecourses since its debut at Royal Ascot in 2019, according to figures released on 3 November 2026. The total stood at £65 million after the 2025 season.
Record turnover and more fixtures
There were 34 World Pool race days in the UK and Ireland in 2026, with 222 races, up from 25 fixtures and 161 races in 2025. Total turnover across those fixtures reached a new high of HK$7.66 billion, up 30% on last year’s total.
International (non-Hong Kong) turnover on Royal Ascot passed HK$500 million for the first time since World Pool’s debut at the meeting, with HK$528.0 million commingled by Hong Kong’s international partners across 35 races, up 7% on 2025. Irish Derby Day at the Curragh set a new international turnover high of HK$53.7 million across nine races, up 7% year on year and the third successive year of growth on the day.
Value for Tote customers
The figures show that 53% of winners of World Pool races returned a bigger price than starting price (SP) for customers betting via the Tote, while 67% of all runners in World Pool races beat SP. Notable overpays included Almeraq in the Group 1 Queen Elizabeth II Stakes at Royal Ascot (World Pool win odds of 39.25 against an SP of 25/1), Item in the Group 1 Juddmonte International Stakes (13.60 against 10/1) and Alphonse Le Grande in the Cesarewitch (30.25 against 18/1).
The highest World Pool Trifecta paid £104,688.10 to a £1 stake, in the Listed Windsor Castle Stakes at Royal Ascot. On all UK and Irish World Pool fixtures this year, the Tote also offered a guarantee to match SP on any horse returning at lower World Pool odds.
Jockeys’ Championship and stable staff
Saffie Osborne won the 2026 World Pool Jockeys’ Championship. She rode 13 winners over the season, and 78% of her rides overpaid with World Pool. She finished on 186.30 points, ahead of World Pool ambassador Ryan Moore (103.85) and Billy Loughnane (101.50). Osborne was crowned on British Champions Day at Ascot and split her £50,000 charity donation prize equally between HEROS and Lambourn Riding for the Disabled.
World Pool also chose 26 Moment of the Day winners in the UK and Ireland this year, with £4,000/€4,500 given to stable staff on each occasion, taking the total given to grooms and stable staff this season to more than £100,000. All 26 enter the World Pool Moment of the Year competition, with a VIP trip for four to Hong Kong in 2027 for the moment chosen as the best of 2026.
Jon Knapman, Head of Commingling at the Hong Kong Jockey Club, said it had been another progressive year for World Pool in the UK and Ireland, pointing to the record turnover, Royal Ascot’s international growth and continued growth on Irish Derby Day. He said the figures help provide a key funding mechanism for the sport.