The Hong Kong Jockey Club (HKJC), which operates World Pool, has confirmed all 12 Group 1 contests in Hong Kong’s 2024/25 season, including this December’s Group 1 quartet of LONGINES Hong Kong International Races (HKIR), will be run for the first time under the World Pool banner.
Since the inaugural World Pool race at Royal Ascot in 2019, only races from outside Hong Kong have been run as World Pool events, but the HKJC has now moved to consolidate its top-level races, which have all been ranked within the International Federation of Horseracing Authorities' (IFHA) LONGINES World's Top 100 Group 1 races in the last three years, under the same banner.
Though commingled pools for Hong Kong races started in the 2013/14 season, and all Hong Kong races are technically HKJC-hosted commingled pools in the same way as World Pool, this will be the first time races in Hong Kong have been incorporated into the World Pool schedule.
Hong Kong will become the ninth jurisdiction to host World Pool races, joining the UK, Ireland, Germany, South Africa, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Australia and Argentina. Over 25 jurisdictions and 70 partners bet into both the Hong Kong pools and World Pool and, in season 2024/25, 84 of the IFHA Top 100 Group 1 races will be part of World Pool.
Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges, Chief Executive Officer at the HKJC, said: "World Pool has provided many benefits to the global horse racing industry including deep and liquid parimutuel markets, increased value opportunities, greater certainty of odds and enhanced returns. World Pool is also a key weapon in the fight against illegal gambling operators and has delivered increased returns to the sport allowing authorities to invest into prizemoney and the broader sustainability of horse racing.
"Additionally, World Pool drives promotion of our sport with a heavy focus on the best international events, horses, jockeys and trainers, drawing predominantly from the IFHA's LONGINES Top 100 Group 1 races. As such, it is timely to add Hong Kong's best races to the World Pool brand commencing with the four Group 1 races on HKIR Day. Hong Kong has only 0.7% of the global total of racehorses in training, yet in 2023 had 14 horses featured in the LONGINES World's Best Racehorse Rankings and 12 races in the IFHA LONGINES Top 100 Group 1 races.
"We are proud of the HKJC's world-class racing and the development of World Pool and look forward to the two of them sitting side by side in the future."
Michael Fitzsimons, Executive Director, Wagering Products at the HKJC, said: "The move to bring a further 12 of the IFHA's LONGINES Top 100 Group 1 races to a global betting audience of over 25 jurisdictions via World Pool marks the HKJC's intent to promote premium racing.
"Branding the top Hong Kong races as World Pool makes strategic sense, as it is not just a wagering brand and the aim is to bring the best international races under the World Pool banner.
"With the growing popularity of World Pool, we aim to keep increasing our contribution to racing which benefits the entire ecosystem. So far in the UK, where World Pool has been in operation since 2019, and Ireland the money that World Pool has generated for racecourses there has surpassed HK$500 million. This will go from strength-to-strength globally as we grow the World Pool offering."
Hong Kong races in season 2024/25 to be run as World Pool races:
08/12/2024 G1 LONGINES Hong Kong Cup
08/12/2024 G1 LONGINES Hong Kong Mile
08/12/2024 G1 LONGINES Hong Kong Sprint
08/12/2024 G1 LONGINES Hong Kong Vase
19/01/2025 G1 Stewards' Cup
19/01/2025 G1 Centenary Sprint Cup
23/02/2025 G1 Citi Hong Kong Gold Cup
23/02/2025 G1 Queen's Silver Jubilee Cup
27/04/2025 G1 FWD QEII Cup
27/04/2025 G1 FWD Champions Mile
27/04/2025 G1 Chairman's Sprint Prize
25/05/2025 G1 Standard Chartered Champions & Chater Cup
