Frankie Dettori Partners with World Pool for Final Racing Season

World Pool, the largest commingled horse racing pools globally, powered by the Hong Kong Jockey Club, has announced its collaboration with legendary jockey, Frankie Dettori, for the 2023 season – Dettori’s last year in racing. As part of the partnership, Dettori will provide regular blogs and content before the World Pool racedays scheduled for 2023, starting with The Saudi Cup meeting this weekend, where all six Group races on Saturday will be commingled globally.

In 2023, World Pool will expand its presence with 18 UK and Irish events, including the Lockinge Stakes Day on 20 May, which will have two races added to the World Pool season, and Irish Derby Day on 2 July, where the Deutsches Derby at Hamburg-Horn will take place, marking the first World Pool race from Germany.

World Pool recorded a new high of HK$6 billion (approximately £622m) in betting turnover in 2022, up from HK$4.8 billion (approximately £498m) in 2021, across the 21 commingled racedays. Additionally, Derby Day at Epsom reported the highest single day of turnover with HK$66.1 million (approximately £6.8m). It should be noted that turnover is recorded in HK$, and approximate pound sterling figures are based on current exchange rates.

World Pool ambassador Dettori said: “I’ve got a lot of different places to visit on my final year in the saddle, so it’s great to be working with World Pool who have also increased their reach to other countries and racetracks in 2023. From The Saudi Cup to Dubai and then onto all the major days in the UK and Ireland, it will hopefully be a very exciting season for all of us.”

Michael Fitzsimons, Executive Director Wagering Products of the Hong Kong Jockey Club, said: “Having Frankie on board as a torchbearer in the final year of an incredible career is absolutely brilliant for World Pool. It’s a huge year for Frankie and it’s the same for World Pool after a record-breaking 2022, and we couldn’t be more thrilled to be partnering with a global icon who has done so much for the sport of horse racing.”

Speaking about his rides at The Saudi Cup on Saturday, Dettori said: “I’ve got rides in four of the big Group races, including in The Saudi Cup itself. The prize money is fantastic and hopefully, we can come away with some of it.

“I’m looking forward to getting back on TRAWLERMAN in the Red Sea Turf Handicap. Winning the Ebor at York on him in the summer gave me a great thrill, so hopefully, he’s in the same kind of form for this. If Subjectivist is still the same great horse he was when winning the Ascot Gold Cup two years ago, then we might find it tough to win, but he’s been off the track for a long time.

“In the Saudi Derby, I’m teaming up with Bob [Baffert] on HAVNAMELTDOWN. He’s a horse that ticks a lot of boxes, but this is his first start over a mile and that’s the only thing we can’t be sure about. He’s got plenty of speed, likes to be at the front and should run a big race if he stays.

“ELITE POWER comes into this off the back of five wins and he is just a very tough sprinter. I’m confident he’s a good horse, but it’s hard to assess his chances against plenty of unknown opposition.

“I’d love to win The Saudi Cup in my final year, and COUNTRY GRAMMER is a very solid contender. He never runs a bad race, has plenty of experience and proved he handles conditions when second last year. The Saudi Cup and Dubai World Cup have always been his targets and he couldn’t have felt better when winning the San Antonio Stakes in December.”