Saudi Cup, the World’s Richest Horse Race, Becomes a World Pool Event through SIS and Hong Kong Jockey Club Partnership

Sports Information Services (SIS) and Hong Kong Jockey Club (HKJC) have joined forces to establish six races on the $31.5 million (£26.2 million/€29.5 million)  Saudi Cup race meeting at King Abdulaziz Racecourse on February 25th as HKJC World Pool events.

Since its inception in 2019, the Saudi Cup race day has become a prominent fixture on the global horse racing calendar, attracting horses from 15 countries to participate this year. The race day’s featured event, the $20 million Group 1 Saudi Cup, will witness the return of last year’s top two finishers – Emblem Road and Country Grammer.

On Saudi Cup day, HKJC will host the wagering pools for races 3-8, offering bettors access to the world’s biggest international commingled pools, while SIS will manage the commercial arrangements with global pool operators. The first race is scheduled to commence at 3:45 pm AST (7:45 am EST).

The HKJC’s World Pool is an extension of its commingling business, in which it accepts bets from overseas partners to expand its already large pari-mutuel pools for local Hong Kong racing.

North America has historically been the largest participant in the Saudi Cup day pools. However, this partnership is expected to benefit not only the North American market but also the French, British, and Irish markets, in addition to drawing in new operators from Germany, Netherlands, Brazil, Peru, and Panama, thereby increasing liquidity.

Michele Fischer, Vice President, SIS Content Services, said: “As the wagering distributor of The Saudi Cup since its inception, SIS is proud to have the race day as part of the prestigious World Pool schedule. It allows us to continue to grow the following of the Saudi Cup races through increased pool size and expanded global participation.

“We appreciate inclusion in the Hong Kong Jockey Club’s World Pool initiative to showcase the best global races.”

Sam Nati, Head of Commingling, Hong Kong Jockey Club, said: “The Saudi Cup is a race that has already firmly established itself in the racing calendar and we are thrilled to have this meeting as part of the World Pool. We aim to include the best international racing events within the World Pool schedule, so it makes sense for the Saudi Cup to join the roster in 2023.”