First day of Longines Irish Champions Weekend set for second year of World Pool

Wednesday 7th September 2022

• Prize money of €2.25 million on offer across eight races at Leopardstown Racecourse

• Card features two Group 1s, including €1 million Royal Bahrain Irish Champion Stakes

Day 1 of Longines Irish Champions Weekend at Leopardstown, featuring the Group 1 Royal Bahrain Irish Champion Stakes, is set to be a World Pool event for the second year, with volumes expected to significantly exceed the €22million Gross Turnover generated in 2021.

World Pool was created by the Hong Kong Jockey Club and is a collaboration of over 20 pool betting operators.  The result is huge liquidity, and a multi-million pound betting experience. World Pool is proving increasingly popular with racing fans and generates a significant financial return for racing.

Not only does World Pool help further internationalise the sport and shine the global spotlight on participating racecourses, but it also generates critical betting revenue and increased media rights for the sport.

Betting into World Pool on Day 1 of Longines Irish Champions Weekend

World Pool is accessed via Tote Ireland. Bets can be placed on World Pool events at the racecourse, online at tote.ie or tote.co.uk, as well as at the Tote App or via bookmakers, the majority of whom accept Tote bets online and in shops.

Additionally, all customers betting with the Tote, both online or at the racecourse, not only benefit from World Pool, but also benefit from Tote Guarantee which ensures all Win bets will always match the Starting Price, or exceed it if the pool price is bigger. Customers betting directly with the Tote online receive an extra 10% boost on winning bets via Tote+.

Exceptional Value with World Pool

There is exceptional value to be found in World Pool given the size of the pools created and the diversity of views from racing fans all over the globe.

At racecourses the pool Win price has beaten the Starting Price half of the time on World Pool days in 2022 to date, and matched it the remainder of the time with Tote Guarantee in place. For those betting online at tote.co.uk, or via the Tote App, this increases to 74% of the time with the Tote+ 10% boost to winning bets available to all customers.

The average Tote overround online on a World Pool day is 104%, versus 121% with bookmakers, and due to the Tote’s pool betting business model it can welcome winning customers.

Huge pools with World Pool

 Last year’s World Pool on Day 1 of Longines Irish Champions Weekend generated a Gross Turnover of €22.2 million with race 7, the Irish Stallion Farms EBF "Petingo" Handicap (Premier Handicap) having the biggest turnover of €3.3 million.

World Pool days on British race days in 2022 have seen a gross turnover volume increase of 50% compared to 2021, so volumes on Day 1 of Longines Irish Champions Weekend could grow to c.€30+ million.

This growth has been generated through more bet types now available in World Pool, along with closer collaboration on optimising the race programme to ensure strong field sizes of 7+ horses wherever possible. This ensures all bet types are available, which, combined with more investment in marketing and production, has been key to maximising turnover.

World Pool “Moment of the Day” at Day 1 of Longines Irish Champions Weekend

New for this year, “World Pool Moment of the Day” will celebrate the most exciting moments on the track throughout the week. Decided by an industry representative, the member of racing staff from the yard who looks after the horse awarded “World Pool Moment of the Day” will win €1,200 and a bottle of champagne.

An award will be made following the 16 World Pool days with an overall winner, determined by a combination of scores derived from a public vote and an industry panel, announced on QIPCO British Champions Day at Ascot Racecourse. The overall “World Pool Moment of the Year” winner will receive £34,000 (c. €40,000) for the staff and yard (making the overall prize £50,000 (c. €60,000)).

Global collaboration continues to grow World Pool

Suzanne Eade, Chief Executive of Horse Racing Ireland which owns Tote Ireland, said: “Day 1 of Longines Irish Champions Weekend, featuring the Group 1 Royal Bahrain Irish Champion Stakes at Leopardstown, will once again be a showcase day in Irish racing, and we are delighted it is a World Pool event. We hope racing fans around the world will enjoy the top-class racing action.”

Alex Frost, Chief Executive of the UK Tote Group, said: “Since announcing our alliance in April 2020, the collaboration between the UK and Irish Totes has ensured both British and Irish customers benefit from the recent innovations we have introduced to the Tote. This includes Tote Guarantee and Tote+ which, when combined with the huge pools created by World Pool has resulted in overrounds of c. 104%, and thus offers unrivalled value for racing fans betting on Day 1 of Longines Irish Champions Weekend. We will also be running a tournament for the day to find the best World Pool player in Ireland. We very much hope all those passionate about the future of Irish racing will get behind the Tote offering, drive a strong pool and help showcase their sport on the global stage.”

Nick Mills, Chief Commercial Officer of Racecourse Media Group, which manages the pool betting interests of Irish racecourses, said: “Working with our partners at SIS, we are pleased to continue to play our part in ensuring Irish racing is on the World Pool calendar. We enjoy working closely with Leopardstown and HRI to ensure Day 1 of Longines Irish Champions Weekend is once again a globally recognised and successful raceday.”

Please visit https://worldpool.hkjc.com/ for full details about World Pool and follow @WorldPool on Twitter for all the latest news.

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

Great Britain and Ireland will host on the following World Pool days in 2022:

• QIPCO 2000 Guineas Day – Newmarket Rowley Mile Racecourse, Saturday 30th April

• Cazoo Oaks Day – Epsom Downs Racecourse, Friday 3rd June

• Cazoo Derby Day – Epsom Downs Racecourse, Saturday 4th June

• Royal Ascot – Ascot Racecourse, Tuesday 14th to Saturday 18th June

• QIPCO King George Diamond Day – Ascot Racecourse, Saturday 23rd July

• Qatar Goodwood Festival – Goodwood Racecourse, Tuesday 26th to Thursday 28th July

• Ebor Festival – York Racecourse, Wednesday 17th to Friday 19th August

• Longines Irish Champion Stakes Day – Leopardstown Racecourse, Saturday 10th September

• QIPCO British Champions Day – Ascot Racecourse, Saturday 15th October

There are seven bet types in World Pool for 2022, including the Exacta and Treble for the first time:

• Win (Single Leg bet) – Pick the winner of the race

• Place (Single Leg bet) – Pick a horse to be placed. Hong Kong place terms apply

• Exacta (Single Leg bet) – Pick the first two horses in the correct order 

• Trifecta (Single Leg bet) – Also known as the Tierce. Select the winner, the second, and the third horse in the correct order

• Quinella (Single Leg bet) – Select the first two finishers in either order

• Swinger (Single Leg bet) – Also known as the Quinella Place, pick two horses to finish first, second or third in any order

• Treble (Multi Leg bet) – Pick the first horse in three races 

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