World Pool returns to Britain for 2,000 Guineas day with organisers calling 2023 'the biggest season yet'
The World Pool returns to Britain at Newmarket on Saturday, with those behind the multinational pool betting operation labelling 2023 “the biggest season yet” for the product.
Punters from 28 different countries will be able to bet into a common tote pool on all eight races on Newmarket’s Qipco 2,000 Guineas card, which forms part of a record 18 racedays in Britain and Ireland in this year’s World Pool.
The World Pool has become a key growth area for British and Irish racing since 2019, when Royal Ascot became the first meeting in Britain to benefit from punters around the world betting into a common tote pool. Racecourses receive between £500,000 and £800,000 per World Pool fixture from media rights payments and their share of betting revenue.
The total pools on British and Irish World Pool racedays last year came to £521 million, with the extra races and racedays in 2023 likely to result in a further increase. For example, the total pool on 2,000 Guineas day last year grew to £22m compared to £14.1m in 2021, while £137m was bet into the pool during Royal Ascot in 2022 having been £92m the year before.
So far this year, five World Pool fixtures have been run with turnover reaching £129 million, an increase of 70 per cent on the same period in 2022.
Alex Frost, chief executive of the UK Tote Group, said: “We’re looking forward to the 2,000 Guineas being a great start to the biggest season yet for World Pool in the UK and Ireland.
“The ambitions for a global wagering platform are already being realised with 28 pool betting operators now part of World Pool, showcasing the best of our racing to a global audience, ensuring an improved value proposition for our customers and creating a more sustainable funding mechanism for horseracing in the future, with ever more additional income for our racecourse partners.”
Robust field sizes are crucial to the World Pool being able to operate effectively. Owners and trainers were sent promotional material by the Tote this year to emphasise how achieving fields of seven or more was important to the World Pool as it allows for all the different bets offered to be operational.
All eight races at Newmarket are set to have double-figure fields, and Martin Stevenson, chief executive of Racecourse Media Group (RMG), which represents the media interests of the Jockey Club, Newbury, Goodwood and York, said: “RMG and Newmarket have worked hard on the race programme and, as a result, the eight races have attracted quality, competitive fields ranging from 11 to 23 runners.
“Good field sizes are key to maximising engagement from punters and racefans, and we’re delighted with the card, headlined by a high-calibre field of 14 lining up for the 2,000 Guineas. RMG looks forward to working with Hong Kong Jockey Club, UK Tote and our racecourses this season in continuing to grow both the sport’s revenues and global appeal.”
Next month is an important one in terms of the appeal of British and Irish racing to World Pool punters, with the Betfred Derby at Epsom and all five days at Royal Ascot having been among the most popular events. An earlier start time of 1.30pm for this year's Derby could potentially result in an uplift in World Pool turnover for the race, with the contest taking place in the evening in Hong Kong rather than late at night.
As well as the 2,000 Guineas, Derby and Royal Ascot, the World Pool betting is set to be available on three days of Glorious Goodwood, three days of the Ebor festival, on Irish Champions Stakes day at Leopardstown and British Champions Day at Ascot, plus on Al Shaqab Lockinge day at Newbury, Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby day and on Qipco King George VI & Queen Elizabeth day.
A ‘moment of the day’ on Saturday will be decided by World Pool, with the groom of the winning horse receiving £4,000 as a result of increased funding for the initiative this year.
Michael Fitzsimons, executive director of wagering products at the Hong Kong Jockey Club, which created the World Pool, said: “We couldn’t be happier with the progress we have made with World Pool so far in 2023 as we prepare for the first UK event of the year.
“We achieved strong growth at this meeting 12 months ago and we are delighted with the field sizes, with all eight races having 11 or more runners. The combination of top-class Group contests with highly competitive handicaps is a great driver for turnover and we hope to make a strong start before moving on to Newbury, Epsom and Royal Ascot.
“It is also great to welcome back the World Pool moment of the day in the UK this weekend. Together with our partners, UK Tote Group, Racecourse Media Group and Ascot, we have increased funding for this initiative in 2023 and the winning groom of Saturday’s moment of the day will receive £4,000.”
The World Pool explained
What is the World Pool?
The World Pool is a collaboration between multiple tote operations across the globe allowing bettors to bet into the same common pool on specified racedays.
The driving force behind the World Pool is the Hong Kong Jockey Club, which began commingling pools with other nations in 2013. Royal Ascot in 2019 became the first meeting in Britain to be part of the expanded World Pool.
Since 2019, the World Pool has expanded each year and it will encompass 18 racedays in Britain and Ireland in 2023, the first of which is Qipco 2,000 Guineas day at Newmarket, where betting into the pool will be available on all eight races.
Why is it interesting for punters?
The World Pool allows punters from countries such as Britain, Ireland, Hong Kong, Australia, France, and the US to bet into the same pool creating greater liquidity. This allows bettors to place larger bets without impacting a horse’s price.
Due to the international nature of the World Pool, certain trainers and jockeys with greater global profiles can often attract a larger volume of bets at the expense of other competitors. On British Champions Day at Ascot last year the Tote dividend beat the Starting Price on five of the six winners on the card.
What types of bet are available on World Pool races?
There are seven types of bet available to World Pool punters on the races where commingling takes place: win, place, exacta (first two horses in the correct order), trifecta (first three horses in the correct order), quinella (first two horses in either order), the swinger (select two horses to finish first, second or third in any order) and the treble (select the winner of three races).
Popular Tote bets such as the Jackpot and Placepot are not part of the World Pool so there will be no international commingling on those pools.
How do I bet into the World Pool?
Punters wanting to bet into the World Pool can do so via tote.co.uk, tote.ie, the Tote mobile app, at racecourses and with bookmakers who offer Tote betting. There is no need to specify that they are World Pool bets as all bets taken on the races go straight into the same common pool.
