World Pool crowns new record Win dividend at Royal Ascot

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Rashabar’s shock win in the Group 2 Coventry Stakes on Tuesday set the tone for World Pool value throughout Royal Ascot with a record Win dividend.

Returning 129.90 versus an SP of 80/1, Rashabar is now the highest ever price paid in any World Pool race since it was launched in 2019.

The week saw 20 winning overpays for World Pool punters betting with the Tote in the UK and Ireland.

Turnover

Gold Cup Day saw the highest turnover of the week with HK$298.2m (£30.1m), followed by Prince of Wales’s Stakes Day with HK$297.8m (£30m) and Commonwealth Cup Day with HK$283.5m (£28.6m), becoming the three highest turnover World Pool days this year to date.

Pools of between HK$269.6m (£27.2m) and HK$298.2m (£30.1m) were recorded across the five days.

Total turnover for World Pool bet types on the week came in at HK$1426.1m (£144m). The highest turnover race of the week was Saturday’s Group 3 Jersey Stakes, which was up on 2023 by 20% to hit HK$52.1m (£5.25m).

World Pool Jockeys’ Championship

The record Win dividend success of Rashabar meant Billy Loughnane opened up a commanding advantage in the World Pool Jockeys’ Championship. Riding his first Royal Ascot winners this week, he claimed 129.90 points for his win on Rashabar and a further 19.65 aboard Sandringham winner Soprano.

Loughnane’s nearest pursuer in the £50,000 contest is Oisin Murphy back on 72.25 points. The leading rider after the final World Pool raceday on British Champions Day at Ascot will receive £50,000 to donate to a charity of their choice.

Billy Loughnane said:

I’m delighted to be leading the World Pool Jockeys’ Championship after Royal Ascot. Winning the Coventry on Rashabar was a dream come true and then to win the Sandringham on Soprano for George [Boughey] and Highclere was incredible. It’s a great initiative by World Pool to donate £50,000 to charity and if I am still in front on Champions Day, then I’ll be donating it to the Christy Lambe Foundation, which is a charity very close to my heart.

Moment of the Day

Five yards were rewarded with cheques for £4,000 on each day of Royal Ascot as part of World Pool’s Moment of the Day initiative and the winning grooms are now in with a chance of a VIP trip to Hong Kong next year.

• Tuesday – Rashabar, Coventry Stakes – Jasa Ram
• Wednesday – Running Lion, Duke of Cambridge Stakes – Kieran Holmes
• Thursday – Mickley, Britannia Stakes – Barry Lusted
• Friday – Crystal Black, Duke of Edinburgh Stakes – Eric and James Hyland
• Saturday – Isle Of Jura, Hardwicke Stakes – David Kenny

Significant Overpays on World Pool

In the UK and Ireland customers enjoyed incredible value with 20 of the 35 winner paying bigger on the Tote than the Industry Starting Price (SP). These included the following significant overpays:

Rashabar – 129.90 v 80/1 – new record Win Dividend
Unequal Love – 15.75 v 12/1
Khaadem – 17.30 v 14/1
Fairy Godmother – 3.20 v 15/8
Soprano – 19.65 v 14/1
Going The Distance – 12.50 v 9/1
Mickley – 10.75 v 15/2
Jayarebe – 10.3 v 7/1

The Tote operated with an overround of 113% compared in Industry overround of 124%. The Tote Exacta beat Forecast in 31 races, with the Tote Trifecta beating Tricast in 28 races.

Michael Fitzsimons, Executive Director, Wagering Products at the HKJC, said:

What an incredible five days of racing at Royal Ascot. World Pool was born at the meeting in 2019 and five years on, we have seen fantastic growth and value for racing fans, culminating in the record payout on Rashabar in the Coventry Stakes on Tuesday. Huge congratulations to Billy Loughnane for riding his first Royal Ascot winner and he is now flying high at the top of the World Pool Jockeys’ Championship where he is in with a big chance of winning £50,000 to donate to a charity of his choice.
We would like to thank Ascot for putting on such a brilliant event and our UK and Irish partner the Tote, for helping us deliver a top-class product and proposition. We now look forward to Irish Derby Day on Saturday for our next World Pool event.

Alex Frost, Chief Executive of the UK Tote, said:

We all enjoyed the most sensational five days of racing. I would like to congratulate Alastair Warwick and the whole team at Ascot for all their hard work in ensuring the Royal meeting was once again the racing highlight of the summer. Tote customers benefited from huge pools and exceptional value with 20 winners better priced with the Tote and the pool operating to an overround of only 113%, compared to in Industry SP of 124%. We are all very much looking forward to the rest of the World Pool season which ensures racing fans and the sport benefit from global pools.

Alastair Warwick, Chief Executive at Ascot Racecourse, said:

It was another hugely enjoyable week and we were thrilled with the quality and depth of racing, especially to see eight or more runners in every race which is so important to ensure the full suite of World Pool bets are available. The racing was hugely competitive and with winners from Australia and France there was a true international feel to the meeting. On-course attendance and betting turnover were both up year-on-year which was fantastic reward for all the hard work the team have put in building up to Royal Ascot. We look forward now to QIPCO King George Day which is our next World Pool day.

Upcoming World Pool events in the next three months:

June

Sunday 30: Irish Derby Day – Curragh Racecourse (F)

July

Saturday 6: Eclipse Stakes – Sandown Racecourse (S)
Saturday 6: Durban July Day – Greyville Racecourse (P)
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)

August

Thursday 1: Nassau Stakes Day – Goodwood Racecourse (F)
Sunday 4: Preis der Diana – German Oaks Day – Düsseldorf Racecourse (P)
Sunday 11: Grosser Preis von Berlin Day – Hoppegarten Racecourse (P)
Wednesday 21: International Stakes Day – York Racecourse (F)
Thursday 22: Yorkshire Oaks Day – York Racecourse (F)
Friday 23: Nunthorpe Stakes Day – York 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