Latest News
Record World Pool turnover on Lockinge Stakes Day at Newbury
World Pool, the largest globally commingled horse racing pools created and powered by the Hong Kong Jockey Club, saw record turnover on Lockinge Stakes Day, with the fixture featuring five World Pool races for the first time, an increase from two races in 2023.
Across the five races on the card, total turnover from World Pool bet types hit HK$145.3 million (approx. £14.6 million), up from HK$66 million (approx. £6.7 million) last year.
There was a surprise result in the feature G1 Lockinge Stakes, as Audience, the runner many thought was a pacemaker for his better fancied stablemate Inspiral, never saw another rival and came home in front under rider Rab Havlin. It marked a second win at the highest level for Havlin, and a second Lockinge Stakes for John & Thady Gosden.
For the third time this season, the UK & Irish Jockeys’ Championship saw riders compete for points determined by World Pool dividends, and while Silvestre de Sousa remained top on 44.10 points, there was plenty of movement in the top five.
Audience’s win at a World Pool dividend of 21.85 was enough to catapult Rab Havlin into the top five, and meant he emerged as the leading rider on the day.
Clifford Lee notched a double, with Elite Status winning the Listed Carnarvon Stakes at a World Pool dividend of 6.95 and Lethal Levi landing the HKJC World Pool handicap at a dividend of 8.80. It was Lee’s third win of the Championship and saw him rise to fourth in the table on 27.00 points.
Oisin Murphy maintained his position in third place with a win in the G3 Aston Park Stakes aboard Middle Earth (3.65), while William Buick was also successful on the day, riding King’s Gambit (4.80) to an impressive success in the London Gold Cup Handicap.
Next up for World Pool will be a debut on Irish 1000 Guineas at the Curragh on Saturday May 26, and following that a return to the UK for a full card of races on Derby Day from Epsom on Saturday June 1, while the globally comingled pools will also be in action on the same day from Eagle Farm for Queensland Derby Day.
Upcoming World Pool events in the next three months:
May
Sunday 26: Irish 1000 Guineas Day – Curragh Racecourse (P)
June
Saturday 1: Queensland Derby Day – Eagle Farm Racecourse (P)
Saturday 1: Derby Stakes Day – Epsom Racecourse (F)
Saturday 8: Gold Challenge – Greyville Racecourse (S)
Saturday 15: Stradbroke Handicap Day – Eagle Farm Racecourse (P)
Tuesday 18: Queen Anne Stakes Day – Ascot Racecourse (F)
Wednesday 19: Prince of Wales’s Stakes Day – Ascot Racecourse (F)
Thursday 20: Gold Cup Day – Ascot Racecourse (F)
Friday 21: Commonwealth Cup Day – Ascot Racecourse (F)
Saturday 22: Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes Day – Ascot Racecourse (F)
Sunday 30: Irish Derby Day – Curragh Racecourse (F)
July
Saturday 6: Eclipse Stakes – Sandown Racecourse (S)
Saturday 6: Durban July – Greyville Racecourse (S)
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 – Geryville 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)
*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
eSports
Rootz Announces First Wildz Invitational Esports Tournament
Wildz is proud to officially announce our entry into the Counter-Strike 2 community by hosting the Wildz Invitational tournament, featuring a substantial prize pool of €25,000. This tournament, organized in partnership with Alliance and Challengermode, is open to all teams across Europe in the coming month of December.
Wildz Invitational tournament structure:
Invited Teams: 4 teams will be directly invited to compete in the playoffs stage
Open Qualifiers: Two online qualifiers, where the top 2 teams from each qualifier will secure spots in the playoffs
Playoffs: All 8 teams will face off over an intense 2 day battle
Format: All matches will be played online on the Challengermode platform to ensure accessibility for all participants.
We invite all EU teams to showcase their skills and compete for the title of being the first Wildz Champions, with a first-place prize of €16,250. Sign up now!
Open to all European teams
Qualifiers will be played as a single-elimination bracket. All matches will be BO1.
Playoffs information:
Playoffs Day #1: 21st Dec, start from 15:00 CET
Playoffs Day #2: 22nd Dec, start from 15:00 CET
Playoffs will be played as a single-elimination bracket. All matches will be BO3.
Total prize pool of €25,000 distribution:
1st place: €16,250
2nd place: €6,250
3rd place: €2,500
“We at Wildz have been huge fans of Counter-Strike for many years. When the opportunity arose, everyone at Wildz jumped at the idea of being able to sponsor and host a tournament to showcase Europe’s top CS teams,” shares Nathan Bonello, Esports Specialist at Wildz. “This is just the first of many Wildz esports activities to come, we hope that the CS players and fans worldwide can enjoy our first-ever Wildz Invitational tournament together. May the best team win!”
Greece
HIGHLIGHT GAMES ANNOUNCES GREEK RIGHTS EXTENSION
London-based video virtuals and instant win games specialist Highlight Games Limited today announces that it has secured a significant extension to its exclusive rights agreement to use archive Greek Super League footage in its betting products.
Highlight’s Greek SOCCERBET game includes archive footage from some of the Greek Super League’s most famous and iconic clubs including: AEK Athens, Aris Thessaloniki, Asteras T, Atromitos, Giannina, Olympiakos, Levadiakos, Panathinaikos, Panionios, PAOK Salonika, Platanias and Xanti.
Steven Holmes, CEO, Highlight Games said: ‘I’m delighted to announce yet another exclusive rights extension for Highlight Games. Our Greek SOCCERBET game has proven to be incredibly popular with players and it’s a testament to our ongoing relationships and quality product portfolio that we’re able to continue to deliver this exclusive content to our valued customers.’
Asia
DreamHack x Hyderabad Comic Con 2024 Day 2: Wagh Suyog crowned champion of Rapid Chess tournament; Karan Kanchan steals the show with electrifying DJ set
The second day of DreamHack 2024 x Hyderabad Comic Con, India’s largest celebration of gaming and pop culture, delivered thrilling esports action, landmark achievements, and unforgettable moments as fans turned out in large numbers at the Hitex Exhibition Centre.
Hosted by NODWIN Gaming, a leader in new-age youth entertainment, gaming, and esports this year marks the fifth anniversary of India’s biggest gaming festival. DreamHack’s legendary BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) Zone reached an unprecedented milestone, with tickets selling out for the first time ever. Gamers from across the country brought their own setups to compete and compete in titles including eFootball, THE FINALS, World Cricket Championship 3 (WCC 3), Brawlhalla, Counter-Strike 2, Spectre Divide, and many more, making the zone a hub of energy and camaraderie throughout the day.
After intense semi-final matches, Team LFO, Team Cheems, Team Payback, and AMIGOS Esports qualified for the grand finals of the OMEN VALORANT Campus Quest Season 2. Each team demonstrated exceptional strategy and team play, keeping fans on the edge of their seats.
Meanwhile, Wagh Suyog showcased remarkable talent and focus,`outmaneuvering a field of skilled competitors to win the Rapid Chess tournament and take home the INR 3 Lakh prize pool championship. His/her victory was celebrated with roaring applause, highlighting the growing appeal of chess as part of DreamHack’s diverse lineup.
In other esports action, GodLike Esports, Vibrance Esports, XLR8, and Anthem showcased their dominance on Day 2 of the Snapdragon Pro Series (Call of Duty: Mobile), while Aditya ‘The Dark Lord’ Verma emerged victorious in the Street Fighter 6 segment of KO Fight Night.
Much to the attendees’ delight KO Fight Night delivered electrifying matches in Tekken 8 and Super Mario Bros Ultimate. Players also turned out in large numbers to participate in the Retro and Board Games tournaments, adding to the vibrant gaming atmosphere.
Following suit to the electric atmosphere of DreamHack, the second day of Hyderabad Comic Con was a vibrant celebration of creativity, fandom, and entertainment. Fans were enthralled by special sessions from Maruti Suzuki Arena, Crunchyroll, and Yamaha Racing, each offering unique insights and experiences for attendees.
Attendees were also treated to comic book debuts, including The Warrior God and Abba Aari (the sequel to Mard Bann), alongside the cover launch of Weapons of Mass Extinction: Stage 1 – Blood of The Last Asuran.
On the other hand, music enthusiasts danced to an electrifying DJ set by Karan Kanchan, while rising comedy star Ravi Gupta (a.k.a. Shudh Desi Comic) had audiences in splits with his witty, desi humour.
The Meet & Greet Zone today featured 8Bit Creatives’ popular gaming personalities, such as Raj Varma (Snax), Payal Dhare (Payal Gaming), Parv Singh (Regaltos), Salman Ahmad (8bit Mamba), Monika Jeph (Sherlock Live), Nishant Williams (Willy Gamingg), Mithul Nayak (Binks), Dhwani Bhatt (Pinkcess), and Dhruv Sangwan (Dhruv), who connected with fans through their stories, popular slangs and gaming insights.
Just like yesterday, the Hyderabad Comic Con Cosplay Contest stole the show, with hundreds of cosplayers competing for a prize pool exceeding INR 5 Lakhs, including a daily grand cash prize of INR 50,000. The city’s best cosplayers battled it out to represent Hyderabad at the Indian Championship of Cosplay 2025 Qualifiers, aiming for a daily reward of INR 1.25 Lakhs.
Day 3 of DreamHack 2024 x Hyderabad Comic Con is set to be a spectacular finale, packed with more comic book launches, special sessions, and engaging fireside chats. As the event reaches its climax, SPS, OMEN Campus Quest Season 2, PAN FEST, KO Fight Night, Blitz Chess tournament, and the BYOD and retro tournaments will all wrap up with their much-anticipated grand finals.
Two critically acclaimed stand-up comedy stars, Syed Bashaar, and Harsh Gujral, will bring the laughs, while Geek Fruit will take everyone on a nostalgic journey with iconic theme songs.
For further updates and information regarding DreamHack x Hyderabad Comic Con 2024, follow NODWIN Gaming & DreamHack India on social media. Get your tickets now to experience the best of both worlds and experience the excitement of DreamHack India 2024 x Hyderabad Comic Con firsthand!
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