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World Pool contribution to British and Irish racecourses hits £50 million
The Hong Kong Jockey Club’s (HKJC) contribution to British and Irish racecourses generated by World Pool since its inception in 2019 has surpassed £50 million.
A total of 580 races across nine different tracks in the UK and Ireland have been globally commingled by the HKJC since the World Pool’s inaugural fixture at Royal Ascot in 2019, with the Curragh, Epsom Downs, Goodwood, Leopardstown, Newbury, Newmarket, Sandown Park and York all hosting World Pool racedays.
Since its inauguration, the number of World Pool races has increased dramatically, from 30 races held at Royal Ascot in 2019, to 135 races, held across the nine different racecourses this year.
In 2024, the English and Irish 1000 Guineas were added as World Pool races for the first time, along with the Group 1 Tattersalls Gold Cup. The landmark £50 million figure comes as World Pool builds towards its final fixture of the 2024 UK and Irish Flat season at Ascot this Saturday on QIPCO British Champions Day.
World Pool commits over £300,000 to Moment of the Day and Jockeys’ Championship
In addition, the Hong Kong Jockey Club and partners have helped fund the exciting World Pool Moment of the Day initiative for the past three seasons, which supports racing’s grassroots by giving back to grooms, who are often the unsung heroes behind great equine champions. Each Moment of the Day winning groom receives a £4,000 cash prize and is also in with a chance of a VIP trip to Hong Kong.
The inaugural World Pool UK & Ireland Jockeys’ Championship was launched this year with the winning rider receiving £50,000 to donate to a charity of his or her choice, underlining the Hong Kong Jockey Club’s continued commitment to supporting the community through charitable donations. Points are awarded based on the World Pool win dividend for every World Pool race in the UK and Ireland, offering a level playing field for all jockeys with their chances of winning being dictated by the public as reflected by their World Pool odds.
With one meeting left to go, Billy Loughnane has a commanding lead of over 90 points, after three incredible big-odds victories, during Royal Ascot aboard Rashabar (129.90) on Queen Anne Stakes Day and Soprano (19.65) on Commonwealth Cup Day, and then aboard Canoodled (37.95) on Nunthorpe Stakes Day during York’s Ebor Festival. Those three successes leave Loughnane on a total of 187.50 points, clear of his nearest pursuer Oisin Murphy (97.25).
Michael Fitzsimons, Executive Director, Wagering Products at the HKJC, said: “World Pool has come such a long way since we first launched at Royal Ascot in 2019. It’s been incredibly rewarding to see how much it has grown over the past six years and everyone at the Hong Kong Jockey Club is thrilled to see so much money going back into racing in so many different ways.
“As World Pool continues to grow its presence and popularity, further investment will flow back into the sport, continuing to boost prize money, which in turn should have a positive impact on the size and quality of fields. Healthy field sizes and high-quality racing is what grabs the attention and interest of punters across the globe.”
Alex Frost, Chief Executive, UK Tote Group, said: “In only six years, World Pool has moved from a concept to an initiative that is having a significant impact on supporting the financial ecosystem of racing in the UK and Ireland. It is testament to the vision and leadership of the Hong Kong Jockey Club that we have all been able to make this much progress together.
“Under our long-term contract, everyone at the Tote is very excited to continue our work with the Hong Kong Jockey Club and all our partners to grow World Pool, both for the benefit of racing fans who want an exciting and competitive betting options and to help support the future financial sustainability of the sport.”
World Pool in the UK & Ireland:
Year | UK/IRE Races | UK/IRE host tracks | Non-UK/IRE Races | Non-UK/IRE host tracks |
2019 | 30 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
2020 | 42 | 1 | 7 | 1 |
2021 | 121 | 7 | 32 | 2 |
2022 | 121 | 6 | 33 | 3 |
2023 | 131 | 8 | 91 | 12 |
2024 | 135 | 9 | 94 | 15 |
World Pool in 2024 by country:
Country | Races | Racecourses |
Australia | 35 | 5 |
Germany | 17 | 5 |
Ireland | 24 | 2 |
Saudi Arabia | 7 | 1 |
South Africa | 27 | 3 |
UAE | 8 | 1 |
UK | 111 | 7 |
The final World Pool fixture of the 2024 British & Irish Flat season takes place at Ascot for QIPCO British Champions Day this Saturday.
For all World Pool fixtures, please visit: worldpool.hkjc.com/full-fixture.aspx
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SPOTLIGHT SPORTS GROUP PARTNERS WITH KINDRED GROUP TO DELIVER SMART VIEW RACECARDS
Spotlight Sports Group (SSG), a world-leading technology, content, and media company specialising in sports betting, has today announced a partnership with Kindred Group’s Unibet brand to deliver Smart View racecards, becoming the digital sportsbook partner for the product.
Kindred Group launched Smart View ahead of QIPCO British Champions Day at Ascot on Saturday, allowing Unibet players to seamlessly toggle between traditional Racing Post racecards and Smart View for the flat-season finale.
Smart View, a cutting-edge racing product developed over several years, has captured the attention of seasoned bettors and newcomers with its modern and visually appealing design. Leveraging innovative technology and drawing inspiration from popular video games like FIFA and Football Manager, Smart View simplifies the traditional racecard, making it more accessible and intuitive for all audiences.
Kindred Group, three-time winners of EGR’s Horse Racing Operator of the Year award, continue their commitment to horse racing which already includes a multi-year sponsorship of the Unibet Champion Hurdle, and maintaining leading trainers Nicky Henderson and Richard Hannon as brand ambassadors.
Alistair Gill, Sportsbook & Racing Market Growth Manager at Unibet, emphasised the significance of adding Smart View. He said: “Horse racing is vital to our UK business and it’s crucial for us to cater for all audiences. Smart View combines the expertise of the Racing Post with a modern, easy-to-read display that can engage bettors of all demographics.”
Sam Houlding, Managing Director B2B for Spotlight Sports Group, added: “We are delighted to have Kindred as our first digital partner for Smart View. Our innovative racecard has shown great success at the major festivals this year and is another example of Spotlight Sports Group’s commitment to the future of sports betting.”
Spotlight Sports Group aims to support the global betting, horse racing and fantasy sports industries. To find out more about the services provided, including Smart View, please visit spotlightsportsgroup.com/
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FeedConstruct Extends Partnership with Polish Volleyball Leagues for Exclusive International Streaming and Data Rights
FeedConstruct announces the extension of its exclusive International Streaming and Data Rights for Polish Volleyball. Since 2021, FeedConstruct has been a trusted partner of Polish Volleyball Leagues, and under this new multi-year agreement, it will provide comprehensive coverage of one of the world’s top national volleyball leagues-the Men’s PlusLiga, the Women’s Tauron Liga, and the Tauron 1. Liga, the second-highest men’s volleyball league in Poland.
This agreement ensures FeedConstruct will cover over 600 matches annually, including all play-offs, showcasing some of the world’s top volleyball competitions to a global audience.
Narek Harutyunyan, CEO at FeedConstruct, expressed his excitement: “We are thrilled to build on our successful collaboration with Polish Volleyball. It was very important for us to keep premier volleyball content in our portfolio, as volleyball, with around 900 million fans worldwide, is considered one of the most popular sports across all continents. Polish Volleyball is historically one of the most successful on all levels, and it is a privilege for us to support the further growth of its domestic competitions.’’
Artur Popko, President at Polish Volleyball League, added: “We’ve built a strong and collaborative relationship with FeedConstruct and are thrilled that it will continue with this new long-term agreement. The renewal of our partnership marks a significant milestone for our digital activities. Expanding our reach across new markets presents a tremendous opportunity to share the passion and energy of our leagues with new audiences. Polish Volleyball League is proud to continue its role in amplifying the reach and impact of premium volleyball events. Our commitment to delivering quality coverage remains unwavering.’’
This partnership underscores FeedConstruct’s position as a leading provider of sports streaming and data solutions, delivering some of the world’s best national league volleyball action to a worldwide audience.
SM post
FeedConstruct is thrilled to extend its partnership with Polish Volleyball Leagues for exclusive International Streaming and Data Rights. Get ready for over 600 premium volleyball matches annually from the Men’s PlusLiga, Women’s Tauron Liga, and Tauron 1. Liga.
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BetMGM launches new advertising campaign; The Chris Rockin’ Locker Room Speech
It’s Showtime! Again!
The second advertising campaign involving UK BetMGM brand ambassador and Hollywood icon, Chris Rock, will air on TV starting 17th October.
The fully-integrated campaign, which sees Rock fire up a group of athletes from several sports in a passionate and amped up locker room speech, promoting key markets; football, darts and horse racing. The energised athletes answer Rock’s call to ‘Entertain’ as they make their way out of the locker room.
The campaign aims to drive awareness of the brand and key betting markets as well as an independent advert promoting responsible gambling. In addition, a casino edit will form part of the wider activity.
UK consumers will get to experience the show stopping campaign on TV, digital, radio, and social platforms in the coming weeks.
Dan Towse, Director of Brand at LeoVegas Group, said “This new creative territory of the ‘Chris Rockin’ Locker Room Speech’ builds on the launch campaign from last year, and it’s great to be working with comedian Chris Rock again for the latest iteration. A huge amount of work has gone into this and everyone from the internal teams to the support of Recipe and production house, have delivered an outstanding creative platform’’
CREATIVE AGENCY
Recipe
MEDIA
Media planning/buying – OMD & Omnicom Media Group (OMG)
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