Loughnane bags big Worldpool prize for cause close to his heart

On the day that a new record was set for daily Worldpool turnover with £48million bet across the British Champions Day meeting at Ascot and action from Caulfield and Randwick in Australia, was confirmed the winner of the inaugural UK & Ireland World Pool Jockeys’ Championship and is to donate the £50,000 prize to The Christy Lambe Foundation.

Topping the leaderboard with 187.05pts, Loughnane finished almost 90pts clear of Oisin Murphy (97.25pts) having triumphed on a number of outsiders through the World Pool season.

The competition rewards the winning jockey of each World Pool race in the UK & Ireland with the horse’s World Pool Win dividend, so when Loughnane struck on Rashabar in the Coventry Stakes at Royal Ascot, which returned 129.90 (versus 80/1) SP, the young rider established a clear advantage.

The jockey said: “I’m very grateful to World Pool for this prize. It’s a significant amount of money and I’m honoured to be able to donate it to The Christy Lambe Foundation.

“Riding in these races on the big days is what I’ve always dreamed of, so to win a few and to top the leaderboard is a fantastic feeling. 

“The Christy Lambe Foundation was only set up two years ago and this money will be very important. The charity works to help people struggling with mental health and poverty, and it’s a cause that’s close to my heart as Christy’s oldest brother Michael is my sponsor, through his company Lambe Construction.”

Michael Lambe, older brother to Christy Lambe and representative of The Christy Lambe Foundation, said:“My dad has supported Billy from the beginning of his career and we’re so proud to see the success he’s having. It is testament to his hard work and dedication.

“His decision to support the Foundation after winning the World Pool Jockeys’ Championship is a demonstration of his kind heart and good nature. He is a credit to his family and the sport of horse racing.

“Billy and World Pool’s £50,000 donation will allow The Christy Lambe Foundation to help our partner, Standing Tall, to open a new office in Derby which will support 20 people out of homelessness next year and into stable jobs.”

The Hong Kong Jockey Club’s (HKJC) contribution to British and Irish racecourses generated by World Pool since its inception in 2019 was announced last week to have surpassed £50 million.

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.

In 2024, the English and Irish 1000 Guineas were added as World Pool races for the first time, along with the Group 1 Tattersalls Gold Cup. 

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.”