Press Release

2000 Guineas and Derby Days to be World Pool events in 2021

Monday 8th March 2021

The Hong Kong Jockey Club, UK Tote Group, The Jockey Club and its media rights partner, Racecourse Media Group (RMG), are delighted to confirm the QIPCO 2000 Guineas Day at Newmarket and Derby Day at Epsom Downs will be World Pool events in 2021.

They join the five days of Royal Ascot and QIPCO British Champions Day which were both World Pool events in 2020, with the Royal meeting being the first ever World Pool event the previous year.

In 2021 the QIPCO 2000 Guineas will run on Saturday 1st May and the Derby on Saturday 5th June. Both days are well-known to betting audiences around the world, including in Hong Kong where the races have proved extremely popular. RMG, working with The Jockey Club, has facilitated the simulcast of Derby Day in Hong Kong for over 10 years now, in which time turnover has increased by 118% since 2012. RMG has also ensured that QIPCO 2000 Guineas Day has received excellent exposure in Hong Kong, with handle having grown by 94% since 2017.

The extension of more simulcast meetings has been approved by the Hong Kong Government and will increase by 14 days, to a total of 37 days this year. The Hong Kong Jockey Club will confirm in the coming weeks which international racedays will be added to the simulcast schedule and many of these will be World Pool events, taking place in July and August when the Hong Kong season is in recess.

World Pool ensures there are larger deeper pools, smoothing pricing and driving an increase in value for customers, as racing fans from around the world bet into a single pool. World Pool at Royal Ascot in 2019 saw pools grow by over 400% to £92.2 million, and last year there was a further 50% increase to £137 million. The increased liquidity from a global customer base helped create greater value for Tote customers with the pool price beating the Starting Price (SP) by 32% in 2019 and 9% in 2020.

In 2021, Tote customers will continue to benefit from the better odds generated by increased liquidity due to World Pool. In addition, Tote customers can be assured of always receiving the best odds available with Tote Guarantee in place for every UK and Irish race. Tote Guarantee ensures the Tote will always match the industry Starting Price (SP) or exceed it if the pool price is bigger on all Win bets and is available to all customers betting on tote.co.uk.

John Williamson, Chairman of the UK Tote Group, said: “As the UK Tote, we are incredibly proud of our partnership with the Hong Kong Jockey Club and greatly admire the pioneering approach of Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges and the Hong Kong Jockey Club team in bringing together pool betting operators from around the world.

“Having more World Pool days on British race meetings in 2021 highlights the strength and depth of the sport in Great Britain. This was underlined earlier this year when the Juddmonte International Stakes at York Racecourse was confirmed as the Longines top flat race in the world in 2020, with British racing currently staging 22 of the top hundred races, more than any other racing nation.

“These are challenging times for British racing but with racecourses, media rights companies and the Tote able to come together with international partners to utilise pool betting and showcase British racing to an international audience, we have a crucial opportunity to boost the sport’s fan base and increase betting revenues, this year and beyond.”

Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges, Chief Executive Officer of the Hong Kong Jockey Club, said: “We were delighted with the first two years of World Pool and are grateful to the Hong Kong Government for approving further simulcast days in 2021. British racing hosts some of the most prestigious racing in the world and we are pleased to be able to extend World Pool to the QIPCO 2000 Guineas and Derby racedays, alongside Royal Ascot and British Champions Day. We look forward to continuing to work together with the Tote and all in British racing as we confirm further World Pool days in order to grow pool betting and showcase the best racing in the world to international racing audiences.”

Nick Mills, Chief Commercial Officer of Racecourse Media Group, said, “RMG is delighted to play its part in ensuring the QIPCO 2000 Guineas Day and Derby Day are World Pool events. We look forward to working with The Jockey Club in delivering a truly worldwide betting audience through the Hong Kong Jockey Club and our international network of pool operators. RMG is excited about showcasing more World Pool events from RMG courses in the future.”

Nevin Truesdale, Chief Executive of The Jockey Club, said: “The QIPCO 2000 Guineas and the Derby are two of the most compelling and competitive flat races anywhere in the world, so it is great news that their global appeal for racing fans will be complemented by the opportunity to bet on them through World Pool. Our thanks go to the UK Tote Group, Hong Kong Jockey Club and our partners at RMG for their assistance in facilitating this exciting development, one which we hope will add to the enjoyment of two of our flagship fixtures for those watching across the globe.”

ENDS.

For further information, please contact:

Susannah Gill
Communications and Corporate Affairs Director
UK Tote Group
susannah.gill@uktotegroup.com
07751 870 929

Notes to Editors

About UK TOTE GROUP

UK Tote Group is the proud owner and steward of the Tote, the UK’s leading pool betting operator.

The Tote has been a core part of British horseracing since 1928 when it was established by Parliament under Winston Churchill as Chancellor of the Exchequer, to provide the public with a safe way to bet and vital funding for the sport.

UK Tote Group is committed to fulfilling Churchill’s founding mission through a revitalised Tote which provides better value and an improved experience to customers, as well as funding for British horseracing. 

The 90-year-old British company is backed by racehorse owners and breeders from around the world. It has an exclusive partnership with British racecourses to provide pool betting services to the six million people who attend race meetings in Great Britain every year, alongside an alliance with Tote Ireland.

The Tote employs 150 people who are based in the Tote’s main office in Wigan and a satellite office in London.

For more information about the UK Tote Group please visit www.uktotegroup.com and follow us @UKToteGroup and @ToteRacing.

About Hong Kong Jockey Club

Founded in 1884, The Hong Kong Jockey Club is a world-class racing club that acts continuously for the betterment of our society. The Club has a unique integrated business model, comprising racing and racecourse entertainment, a membership club, responsible sports wagering and lottery, and charities and community contribution. Through this model, the Club generates economic and social value for the community and supports the Government in combatting illegal gambling. In 2018/19, the Club made a record return to the Government of HK$23.3 billion in duty and profits tax and contributed HK$1.3 billion to the Lotteries Fund. Approved charity and community donations were HK$4.3 billion. The Club is Hong Kong’s largest single taxpayer and one of the city’s major employers. Its Charities Trust is also one of the world’s top ten charity donors. The Club is always “riding high together for a better future” with the people of Hong Kong. Please visit www.hkjc.com.

About The Jockey Club

One of the largest sports businesses operating in the UK today (2019 turnover: £216.5 million), The Jockey Club is at the heart of so many aspects of Britain’s second-biggest spectator sport. We run 15 of the UK’s leading racecourses – large and local, where we’re charged with looking after some of the nation’s biggest events, including the Randox Grand National Festival at Aintree, The Festival at Cheltenham, The Derby Festival at Epsom Downs and the QIPCO Guineas Festival in Newmarket. We welcome thousands of racehorses a year to our training centres in Newmarket, Lambourn and Epsom. We run The National Stud in Newmarket and our charity, Racing Welfare, makes help available to all of racing’s people. We are governed by Royal Charter to act for the long-term benefit of British Racing and our Patron is Her Majesty The Queen. For more information please visit www.thejockeyclub.co.uk.

About Racecourse Media Group (RMG)

RMG is the umbrella organisation for the 34 racecourses which hold an interest in Racing TV, Racing TV International (international betting broadcast service) and Racecourse Data Company (licensing and control of Pre-Race Data). Racecourse Retail Business is the vehicle which represents 37 racecourses' content in the LBO (licensed betting office) market. Pictures are shown in around 8,000 LBOs in Britain and Ireland.