Newbury and the Curragh to host extra World Pool races

World Pool will break new ground in the UK and Ireland in the coming months, with the globally commingled pools set to make their debut on Irish 2000 Guineas Day from the Curragh on 24 May, while all races on Newbury’s Lockinge Stakes Day (17 May) will now be part of World Pool. 

Following World Pool’s scheduled UK return on 2000 Guineas Day (3 May), the Hong Kong Jockey Club-powered pools will return to Newbury for Lockinge Stakes Day, where this year there will be seven World Pool races on the card, up from five in 2024.

World Pool will then head to Ireland and make its debut on Irish 2000 Guineas Day. All races on the card will be globally commingled, allowing punters in over 28 countries to bet into huge global pools.

The following day, part of the Tattersalls Gold Cup Day (25 May) card from the Curragh will also be available via World Pool, and after that Derby Stakes Day (7 June) from Epsom will be World Pool’s next fixture.

World Pool will then be in operation for a sixth time for all five days of Royal Ascot 2025 (17-21 June), with a full card from the Curragh for Irish Derby Day (29 June) and the Eclipse Stakes (5 July) at Sandown, once again taken as a single race, rounding off a busy Q2 in the UK and Ireland.

For the second year, the World Pool UK & Ireland Jockeys’ Championship will begin on 2000 Guineas Day, with the winning rider of each World Pool race throughout the season earning points determined by the World Pool SP of their mount. The championship will run until British Champions Day at Ascot in October when a prize of £50,000 will be given to a charity of the eventual winning rider’s choice. Last year, Billy Loughnane claimed the top prize, largely as a result of winning the Coventry Stakes aboard Rashabar which returned a World Pool dividend of 129.90 (v 66/1 SP), and donated the £50,000 to the Christy Lambe Foundation.

During Q2, World Pool will be in action in Hong Kong, with three Group 1s on Champions Day (27 April) set to be commingled as well as the final Group 1 of the season, the Champions and Chater Cup (25 May).

World Pool’s programme is also set to take in the UAE, South Africa and Australia where new fixtures have also been added, with World Pool scheduled to be in operation at Morphettville for South Australian Derby Day (3 May) and Doomben for the Doomben 10000 (17 May) and Doomben Cup Day (24 May) for the first time.

Sam Nati, Head of Commingling at the Hong Kong Jockey Club, said: “We are already looking forward to what will be a busy Q2 for World Pool as we anticipate our return to the UK and Ireland for 2025, and we’re delighted to have stengthened our offering with a new race day added at the Curragh and to have extended Newbury’s Lockinge Day card to a full World Pool meeting.

“We’re committed to adding the best races from around the globe to the World Pool calendar, so extending our involvement in Lockinge Day and taking in the Irish 2000 Guineas is an exciting development. We look forward to bringing these new races to our global customers as well as returing to some of our best performing meetings at Royal Ascot and on Derby Day.”

Saturday 29: Tancred Stakes Day – Rosehill Racecourse (P)

Saturday 29: Australian Cup Day – Flemington Racecourse (P)

Saturday 29: SA Derby Day – Turffontein Racecourse (P)

Saturday 5: Doncaster Mile Day – Randwick Racecourse (P)

Saturday 5: Dubai World Cup Day – Meydan Racecourse (P)

Saturday 12: Queen Elizabeth Stakes Day – Randwick Racecourse (F)

Sunday 27: Champions Day – Sha Tin Racecourse (P)

Saturday 3: South Australian Derby Day – Morphettville Racecourse (P)

Saturday 3: 2000 Guineas Day – Newmarket Racecourse (F)

Saturday 17: Doomben 10000 – Doomben Racecourse (P)

Saturday 17: Lockinge Stakes Day – Newbury Racecourse (F)

Saturday 24: Doomben Cup Day – Doomben Racecourse (P)

Saturday 24: Irish 2000 Guineas Day – Curragh Racecourse (F)

Sunday 25: Champions and Chater Cup – Sha Tin Racecourse (S)

Sunday 25: Tattersalls Gold Cup Day – Curragh Racecourse (P)

Saturday 7: Gold Challenge Day – Greyville Racecourse (P)

Saturday 7: Derby Stakes Day – Epsom Racecourse (F)

Saturday 14: Stradbroke Handicap Day – Eagle Farm Racecourse (P)

Tuesday 17: Queen Anne Stakes Day – Ascot Racecourse (F)

Wednesday 18: Prince of Wales’s Stakes Day – Ascot Racecourse (F)

Thursday 19: Gold Cup Day – Ascot Racecourse (F)

Friday 20: Commonwealth Cup Day – Ascot Racecourse (F)

Saturday 21: Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes Day – Ascot Racecourse (F)

Sunday 29: Irish Derby Day – Curragh Racecourse (F)

(Dates on the above fixtures list are based on Hong Kong time zone GMT+8.)

   *F: Full meeting - World Pool coverage on all races in the relevant meeting     P: Part meeting - World Pool coverage only on selected races in the relevant meeting

     S: Single race - World Pool coverage only on this race in the relevant meeting