World Pool tops £75m in revenue for UK and Irish racecourses after record 2026 season
The Hong Kong Jockey Club says World Pool has generated more than £75 million for UK and Irish racecourses since 2019, with 2026 turnover on British and Irish fixtures up 30% to a record HK$7.66 billion.
GamblingSource: European Gaming
World Pool, the commingled betting pool run by the Hong Kong Jockey Club (HKJC), has now generated more than £75 million for racecourses in the UK and Ireland since it first appeared at Royal Ascot in 2019. According to the HKJC, turnover on this year's British and Irish fixtures grew 30% to a record HK$7.66 billion.
The growth followed a larger schedule. World Pool operated on 34 race days across 222 races in 2026, compared with 25 fixtures and 161 races in 2025. The total contribution to racecourses stood at £65 million at the end of the 2025 season.
International turnover, meaning money from outside Hong Kong, passed HK$500 million at Royal Ascot for the first time. The HKJC's international partners commingled HK$528 million across 35 races, a 7% increase on 2025. Irish Derby Day at the Curragh also set an international turnover high of HK$53.7 million over nine races, up 7% and the third consecutive annual rise.
For customers betting through the Tote in the UK and Ireland, 53% of World Pool winners paid more than the starting price (SP), and 67% of all runners beat SP. Examples included Almeraq in the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes at Ascot, which returned 39.25 against a 25/1 SP, and Item in the Juddmonte International, which paid 13.60 against 10/1. The largest World Pool Trifecta dividend was £104,688.10 to a £1 stake, in the Windsor Castle Stakes at Royal Ascot. The Tote also guaranteed to match SP on any horse that returned lower World Pool odds.
Saffie Osborne won the 2026 World Pool Jockeys' Championship with 186.30 points from 13 winners, ahead of Ryan Moore on 103.85 and Billy Loughnane on 101.50. She split her £50,000 charity prize equally between HEROS and Lambourn Riding for the Disabled. The programme also named 26 Moment of the Day winners, each earning stable staff £4,000 or €4,500, more than £100,000 in total.
Jon Knapman, the HKJC's head of commingling, said the figures help provide a key funding mechanism for the sport. He added that Royal Ascot continues to drive turnover growth and that the HK$500 million milestone reflects the meeting's global appeal. World Pool also widened its European presence this year by appointing Mickaël Barzalona as ambassador for French racing.
Based on reporting by European Gaming.