Day 1 of Longines Irish Champions Weekend at Leopardstown, featuring the Group 1 Irish Champion Stakes, saw €29.5 million bet into World Pool. 

Gross turnover for World Pool bets increased by 33% on 2021’s figure of €22.2 million. 

As a collaboration of global Totes, World Pool enables racing fans from all over the globe to bet into a single pool. This creates huge liquidity and excellent value for racing fans. 

Exceptional value for Tote customers 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+.

The Tote offered customers exceptional value across the eight races: 
•    Tote+ Win beat SP in 5 of the 8 races (and matched on the remaining three with Tote Guarantee in place) 
•    Tote+ Win overround was 103% vs SP overround of 118%
•    Tote+ Exacta beat Forecast on 6 out of 8 races
•    Tote+ Trifecta beat Tricast on 4 out of 5 races

€1,200 won by racing staff for World Pool “Moment of the Day” on Day 1 of Longines Irish Champions Weekend

At each World Pool event there is a “Moment of the Day” which will be awarded by an industry representative, with the moment decided by a standout performance. This could include a wide-margin winner; a winner from an unlikely position; an extraordinary turn of foot at any point in the race; an above expectation performance by an outsider; or a human or equine interest story.

Racing staff who look after the winning horse for each World Pool “Moment of the Day” receive €1,200/£1,000 and a bottle of champagne. On Day 1 of Longines Irish Champions Weekend, “World Pool Moment of the Day” was won by Derek Hennessy, the groom, and Killian Hennessy, the work rider, of Luxembourg, who share the prize for the horse’s success in the Group 1 Irish Champion Stakes.

At the end of the World Pool season, the 16 winners of “Moment of the Day” at World Pool events will compete for the overall World Pool “Moment of the Year”, which will be presented on QIPCO British Champions Day. The overall winner will be determined by a combination of scores derived from a public vote and an industry panel. The winning yard who looks after the horse will be awarded the World Pool “Moment of the Year” and receive €40,000/£34,000 (making the overall prize (c. €60,000) / £50,000).

Global collaboration continues to grow World Pool 

Michael Fitzsimons, Executive Director Wagering Products of the Hong Kong Jockey Club, said: “Day 1 of Longines Irish Champions Weekend was another successful day for World Pool with excellent ongoing collaboration between all parties. We appreciate the efforts by Horse Racing Ireland, the Tote, Racecourse Media Group, our global partners, and of course the participants, in ensuring World Pool continues to go from strength-to-strength to the benefit of global horse racing.” 

Suzanne Eade, Chief Executive of Horse Racing Ireland which owns Tote Ireland, said: “We are delighted with Day 1 of Longines Irish Champions Weekend which was a top-class day of racing. This was reflected in the positive World Pool numbers. We look forward to continuing to work in partnership with the Hong Kong Jockey Club, the Tote and Racecourse Media Group to further develop World Pool in Ireland.” 

Alex Frost, Chief Executive of the UK Tote Group, said: “World Pool once again ensured the Tote was able to provide great value and an excellent experience for customers, in Ireland and the UK, betting on Day 1 of Longines Irish Champions Weekend. I would like to thank the Hong Kong Jockey Club, as well as the teams at Horse Racing Ireland, Leopardstown Racecourse and Racecourse Media Group for their collaboration and extensive support of World Pool. We look forward to the final fixture of the 2022 World Pool season at QIPCO British Champions Day. We have all appreciated this extraordinary opportunity to progress a concept that is having such a positive impact on horse racing in the UK and Ireland, even at these most formative stages." 

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

Day 1 of Longines Irish Champions Weekend was another successful day for World Pool with excellent ongoing collaboration between all parties. We appreciate the efforts by Horse Racing Ireland, the Tote, Racecourse Media Group, our global partners, and of course the participants, in ensuring World Pool continues to go from strength-to-strength to the benefit of global horse racing