World Pool Moment Of The Year: vote for your favourite!

The four finalists for the World Pool Moment of the Year features winners from the UK, UAE, Australia and Ireland, with the respective grooms in contention to win a VIP trip to Hong Kong next year, should they come out on top in the public vote.

Twenty-four World Pool Moment of the Day prizes were awarded this year, which saw each groom of the winning horse receive a cheque for £4,000.

Those 24 were trimmed down to a final quartet on Monday. Voting is open and will close in a fortnight (November 25) 25th November.

 The four finalists are: 

The groom of Laurel River, winner of the Group One Dubai World Cup on March 30. 

Laurel River was a brilliant wide-margin winner, a performance that saw the six-year-old ascend to the top of the Longines World’s Best Racehorse Rankings. 

The groom of Celestial Legend, winner of the Grade One  Doncaster Mile on April 6 at Randwick. 

Celestial Legend gave 86-year-old legendary Australian trainer Les Bridge and Hong Kong owner Bon Ho Ka-kui a memorable win in the prestigious contest. 

The groom of City Of Troy, winner of the Group One Derby on June 1. 

City Of Troy was a dominant winner at Epsom, bouncing back in style after disappointing on his seasonal return in Newmarket’s 2000 Guineas. 

The groom of Rashabar, winner of the Group Two Coventry Stakes on June 18. 

Rashabar broke his maiden in the Coventry, defying huge World Pool odds of 129.90 (over 80/1 SP) to land the prestigious two-year-old contest. 

The winner will be announced on Friday December 6 during the Longines Hong Kong International Races (HKIR) week. 

The prize for the winner and their three guests includes: Return flights (premium economy), accommodation in 4-star hotel for five nights, and hospitality at both the Happy Valley and Sha Tin meetings on either Hong Kong Derby Day or FWD Champions Day. 

Last year saw Equinox’s groom, Tomohiro Kusunoki, claim the Moment of the Year prize after the Japanese colt’s brilliant run in the Dubai Sheema Classic, while the inaugural competition saw the UK’s Annabel Willis win the award, following Alpinista’s stirring victory in the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe. 

World Pool, the globe’s largest commingled horse racing pools created and powered by the HKJC, with additional funding from the HKJC, UK Tote Group, Racecourse Media Group (RMG) and Ascot Racecourse, have rewarded stable staff with £96,000 (just under HK$1 million) in prizes in 2024. 

Michael Fitzsimons, Executive Director, Wagering Products at the HKJC, said: “Giving back to the community is something we take pride in at the Hong Kong Jockey Club and the World Pool Moment of the Day initiative does just that by rewarding grooms who are the lifeblood of the racing industry. 

“After giving nearly £100,000 to grooms this year with 24 Moment of the Days chosen, we’re very excited to have selected our four finalists who are now in the running for the World Pool Moment of the Year prize – a VIP trip to Hong Kong. 

“We’ve seen some breathtaking racing moments from across the globe this year, so deciding on our finalists was no easy task, and we can’t wait to see which moment is chosen by the public as their World Pool Moment of the Year, with the winner set to be announced at Longines Hong Kong International Race Day early next month.”