Oaks and 1000 Guineas return as UK World Pool races in Q2

Newmarket’s 1000 Guineas and the Oaks from Epsom will return as World Pool races this year, with the full list of 2026 Q2 fixtures being confirmed by the Hong Kong Jockey Club.

As was the case last year, the World Pool season in the UK will kick off with the 2000 Guineas from Newmarket on 2 May, with a full card available to punters in 27 jurisdictions.

The following day, the 1000 Guineas, the second Classic of the UK Flat season, will also be commingled, having last been a World Pool race in 2024.

Another Classic race that is returning as a World Pool event next quarter is the Oaks (5 June) from Epsom, which was last globally commingled in 2022, when Aidan O’Brien’s Tuesday came home in front under World Pool ambassador Ryan Moore.

All races on Oaks Day will be part of World Pool, as will all races on Derby Stakes Day (6 June), including the world’s most famous Flat race, the Epsom Derby.

Other returning World Pool fixtures in the UK in Q2 include Lockinge Stakes Day (16 May) from Newbury and all five days of Royal Ascot (16 – 20 June).

World Pool will start the season in Ireland on 23 May with Irish 2000 Guineas Day and the following day from the Curragh the Irish 1000 Guineas and Tattersalls Gold Cup will also be World Pool races. Irish Derby Day (28 June) will once again return as a World Pool raceday.

Bar the Irish 1000 Guineas, all fixtures from the UK and Ireland include races that have featured in the International Federation of Horseracing Authorities Top 100 Group 1 races in the last three years.

A new World Pool raceday confirmed for Q2 is All Aged Stakes Day (18 April) from Randwick in Australia, where all races on the card will be commingled.

The action on All Aged Stakes Day will complete a busy month from Sydney’s premier track, with global pools also in action on Doncaster Mile Day (4 April) and Queen Elizabeth Stakes Day (11 April).

May will see two returning fixtures from Australia on South Australian Derby Day (2 May) and Doomben 10000 Day (16 May), while in June the action moves north to Eagle Farm in Brisbane for two World Pool races – the Stradbroke Handicap and Q22, which will both be commingled on 13 June.

Two fixtures from South Africa feature, South African Derby Day (4 April) from Turffontein and Gold Challenge Day (6 June) from Greyville.

In Hong Kong, World Pool will take in three Group 1 races – Chairman’s Sprint Prize, Champions Mile and QEII Cup – on Champions Day (26 April) and the final Group 1 of the Hong Kong season, the Champions & Chater Cup (24 May) where Romantic Warrior will be bidding to complete the Hong Kong Triple Crown.

All racedays mentioned, bar South African Derby Day, South Australian Derby Day and the Q22, feature races in the IFHA’s Top 100 Group 1 races in the last three years.