Why the return to racecourses is cause for optimism

Tuesday 10th August 2021

Despite the continued challenges of international travel, I am delighted to say that I have been able to visit the UK for a few weeks.

As well as the joy of seeing family and friends, I was lucky enough to attend the Qatar Goodwood Festival.

Though I have never been to Goodwood before, so many people in racing told me how wonderful it is. As I drove down the A3 escaping the city, with the landscape becoming greener by the mile, I realised I was heading for somewhere special. Goodwood did not disappoint.

This year, perhaps more than ever, the magnificent views of the Sussex Downs were admired and appreciated by all those who attended what is traditionally called “Glorious Goodwood”.

The return of racegoers is cause for optimism at the Tote, as it brings the return of on-course betting into the pool.

The additional activity from on-course betting has been absent while attending racing was restricted during the pandemic, and while the majority of bets are now placed online, the Tote’s on-course betting has an important role to play on all 59 racecourses in the UK. During the last week of July, when Goodwood was taking place, racegoers betting with Tote across all race meetings added £1.8 million to the pool.

The opening three days of Goodwood were all World Pool events for the first time ever. As I have highlighted previously, World Pool is pioneering international collaboration by bringing together betting operators from around the world to bet into one pool. We have already had 9 days of World Pool on British racing in 2021. It continues to deliver everything we expect, generating unprecedented high liquidity and exceptional value for Tote customers.

Alongside the value driven from high liquidity generated by World Pool, customers betting on tote.co.uk will always automatically benefit from the Tote Guarantee, meaning the Tote matches or exceeds the Industry Starting Price. In addition, Tote+ provides a 10% dividend enhancement on all winning bets.

All this meant that customers betting on 17 of the 22 winners at Goodwood benefitted from better prices on the Tote. Alcohol Free, the winner of the feature race, the Group 1 Qatar Sussex Stakes, paid 5.39 on the Tote versus 7/2 with the bookmakers.

The words of Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges, Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Jockey Club, in a recent interview with the Thoroughbred Daily News, seem an appropriate way to finish this blog as we now look forward to the Welcome to Yorkshire Ebor Festival at York next week:

“I believe in global racing. I believe racing has to go to the next step of globalisation…. I am passionate about the World Pool and I fully believe it is a major way forward in the globalisation of racing.”

We are all truly excited at the prospect of another first - three more days of World Pool at Ebor!

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