World Pool, the largest globally commingled horse racing pool created and powered by the Hong Kong Jockey Club, reported a record turnover on Lockinge Stakes Day. This year’s fixture featured five World Pool races, an increase from two races in 2023.
The total turnover from World Pool bet types across the five races reached HK$145.3 million (approximately £14.6 million), significantly up from HK$66 million (approximately £6.7 million) last year.
In a surprising turn of events, Audience, initially perceived as a pacemaker for the favoured Inspiral, won the G1 Lockinge Stakes under rider Rab Havlin. This victory marked Havlin’s second win at the highest level and the second Lockinge Stakes win for trainers John and Thady Gosden.
For the third time this season, the UK & Irish Jockeys’ Championship saw riders compete for points determined by World Pool dividends. Silvestre de Sousa maintained his lead with 44.10 points, but there were notable changes in the top five rankings.
Audience’s victory, with a World Pool dividend of 21.85, propelled Rab Havlin into the top five, making him the leading rider of the day. Clifford Lee secured a double win, with Elite Status taking the Listed Carnarvon Stakes at a World Pool dividend of 6.95 and Lethal Levi winning the HKJC World Pool Handicap at a dividend of 8.80. These wins brought Lee to fourth place in the table with 27.00 points.
Oisin Murphy held his third-place position with a win in the G3 Aston Park Stakes aboard Middle Earth (3.65), while William Buick achieved success riding King’s Gambit (4.80) in the London Gold Cup Handicap.
The next World Pool event is scheduled for the Irish 1000 Guineas at the Curragh on Saturday, May 26. Following that, World Pool will cover a full card of races on Derby Day from Epsom on Saturday, June 1, with globally commingled pools also active at Eagle Farm for Queensland Derby Day on the same day.
Upcoming World Pool Events
May:
- Sunday, 26: Irish 1000 Guineas Day – Curragh Racecourse (P)
June:
- Saturday, 1: Queensland Derby Day – Eagle Farm Racecourse (P)
- Saturday, 1: Derby Stakes Day – Epsom Racecourse (F)
- Saturday, 8: Gold Challenge – Greyville Racecourse (S)
- Saturday, 15: Stradbroke Handicap Day – Eagle Farm Racecourse (P)
- Tuesday, 18: Queen Anne Stakes Day – Ascot Racecourse (F)
- Wednesday, 19: Prince of Wales’s Stakes Day – Ascot Racecourse (F)
- Thursday, 20: Gold Cup Day – Ascot Racecourse (F)
- Friday, 21: Commonwealth Cup Day – Ascot Racecourse (F)
- Saturday, 22: Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes Day – Ascot Racecourse (F)
- Sunday, 30: Irish Derby Day – Curragh Racecourse (F)
July:
- Saturday, 6: Eclipse Stakes – Sandown Racecourse (S)
- Saturday, 6: Durban July – Greyville Racecourse (S)
- Sunday, 7: Deutsches Derby Day – Hamburg Racecourse (P)
- Saturday, 27: King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Stakes Day – Ascot Racecourse (F)
- Sunday, 28: Champions Cup Day – Greyville Racecourse (P)
- Sunday, 28: Grosser Preis Bayerisches Zuchtrennen Day – Munich Racecourse (P)
- Tuesday, 30: Goodwood Cup Day – Goodwood Racecourse (F)
- Wednesday, 31: Sussex Stakes Day – Goodwood Racecourse (F)
F: Full meeting – World Pool coverage on all races in the relevant meeting
P: Part meeting – World Pool coverage only on selected races in the relevant meeting
S: Single race – World Pool coverage only on this race in the relevant meeting
