The 2025 World Pool season in the UK and Ireland begins on Saturday 3 May with the 2000 Guineas Day at Newmarket, marking the return of international pari-mutuel betting pools across a range of high-profile race meetings. The opening fixture also signals the start of the second edition of the World Pool Jockeys’ Championship, which will run through to British Champions Day at Ascot on 18 October.
Riders will accumulate points based on World Pool dividends across all UK and Irish World Pool fixtures during the season. The 2024 championship was won by Billy Loughnane, whose points total was boosted by a notable win on Rashabar at Royal Ascot, returning 129.90 with World Pool, significantly higher than the industry SP of 80/1.
This year’s schedule includes new additions to the World Pool calendar. All races on Lockinge Stakes Day at Newbury (17 May) will be included, while Irish 2000 Guineas Day from the Curragh (24 May) becomes the first World Pool fixture of the year in Ireland. The Tattersalls Gold Cup card (25 May) at the Curragh and Derby Stakes Day (7 June) at Epsom will also feature in the expanded offering.
The G1 Irish 2000 Guineas, included in the IFHA’s Top 100 Group 1 races for the past two years, aligns with World Pool’s continued strategy to spotlight globally recognised contests to international bettors.
Royal Ascot will once again feature all 35 races in the World Pool programme, marking six years since the initiative was launched at the Royal Meeting in 2019. Jockey Ryan Moore has been named a World Pool ambassador for 2025 and will contribute insight and commentary on select racedays.
Throughout the season, each UK and Irish World Pool fixture with at least five races will feature a “Moment of the Day,” awarding £4,000 or €4,500 to the groom associated with the selected horse. Last year, Ryan Moore’s Derby win aboard City Of Troy earned groom David Hickey both the day’s and year’s top World Pool honour, securing a VIP trip to Hong Kong.
Since its launch, World Pool has generated over £50 million in returns to British and Irish racecourses, with 2024 turnover reaching HK$4.6 billion (approximately £455 million). Tote customers betting on World Pool days saw competitive returns, with the Tote Win outperforming industry SP in 55% of races and averaging 9% higher returns overall. The Tote Exacta and Trifecta similarly outperformed equivalent fixed-odds products, returning on average 37% and 59% more, respectively, in eligible races.
Sam Nati, Head of Commingling at the Hong Kong Jockey Club, said: “The British and Irish Flat season provides some of the finest racing action around the world, with the Classics on both sides of the Irish Sea steeped in history and Royal Ascot the jewel in the crown for our overseas customers with World Pool in action for all five days.
“Once again, we have strengthened our offering for the 2025 UK and Irish season, with new World Pool races added on Lockinge Day and the Irish 2000 Guineas debuting as a World Pool day, while we’re sure racing fans all over the world will be keen to hear the thoughts of our ambassador Ryan Moore ahead of some of the biggest fixtures in global racing.
“We’re also delighted to be welcoming back the World Pool Jockeys’ Championship for a second year and look forward to again crowning the leading rider on British Champions Day at Ascot in October.”
Alex Frost, Chief Executive of the UK Tote Group, said: “It’s enormously exciting to be in the early stages of what we hope will be another compelling flat season of top-class racing in the UK and Ireland. With so many of our best days now an established part of the World Pool calendar, everyone at the Tote is looking forward to collaborating with our UK and international partners to showcase the value of World Pool to racing fans while maximising the benefits it can bring to the sport.”
Brian Kavanagh, Chief Executive of the Curragh Racecourse, said: “The Curragh very much values our relationship with World Pool which started with the Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby in 2023 and has developed since then. This year for the first time the Tattersalls Irish 2000 Guineas meeting on May 24th will be a World Pool event and we look forward to an excellent day’s racing. The World Pool focusses on the best races in in the world and this year we are delighted that four Curragh dates will be included.”
