HKJC

A trio of new race days have been approved for the 2023 World Pool calendar by the Hong Kong SAR government, the Hong Kong Jockey Club (HKJC) announced on Thursday. The HKJC applied for Newmarket's Sun Chariot S. Day on Oct. 7, Turnbull S. Day at Flemington that same day, and Cox Plate Day at Moonee Valley on Oct. 28 to be added to the schedule. A total of four races will be world pool events at Newmarket that day, while five races at Flemington have been added to the...

The Hong Kong Jockey Club (HKJC) will extend the distribution of prizemoney to sixth place in all races for the 2023-24 season, the organization announced Monday. Last season, prizemoney was paid to the first six finishers in all 12 of Hong Kong's Group 1 races, as well as the BMW Hong Kong Derby, while prizemoney was distributed to the top five in all other races. Under the revised schedule, 2% of the total purse will be allocated to the sixth-place finisher.

Sunday's G1 Irish Derby at the Curragh and Hamburg's G1 Deutsches Derby cards both resulted in strong turnover for the World Pool, the Hong Kong Jockey Club announced on Wednesday. A total of HK$246.9 million (€28.9m/£24.9m) was reported as turnover on the eight-race Irish card and the Deutsches Derby, which was the first-ever World Pool event in Germany. Created and operated by the HKJC, the World Pool also offered value for racing fans with Tote+ Win beating SP in six of the eight races on Irish Derby Day and Tote+...

The Hong Kong Jockey Club (HKJC) announced on Sunday that its World Pool, the globe's largest commingled horse racing pools, broke the record for single race turnover in a World Pool race when HK$66.2 million (£6.6m) was bet into Saturday's G1 Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee S., eclipsing the HK$66.1 million wagered in the 2022 G1 Betfred Derby. Saturday's total turnover of HK$323.4 million (£32.5m) is the third-highest World Pool day of all time, checking in behind the Friday (HK$351.8m) and Saturday (HK$340.9m) of Royal Ascot in 2022. The other two...

A five-year partnership renewal agreement for pool betting was agreed upon by Ascot Racecourse and the Hong Kong Jockey Club (HKJC) on Friday. The deal renewal, signed by Michael Fitzsimons of the HKJC and Felicity Barnard of Ascot, features the delivery of a dedicated HKJC feed from Ascot, as well as additional content to help raise awareness of the racing at Ascot in Hong Kong. It will begin on July 1, 2023 and last until July 1, 2028. It is an extension of a deal that began between the two...

Edited Press Release World Pool, the largest commingled horse racing pools created and powered by the Hong Kong Jockey Club (HKJC), will be in operation at Epsom for a third year on Derby Day on Saturday, June 3. All eight races on Betfred Derby Day will be commingled, including the feature G1 Betfred Derby, G3 Diomed S., G3 Princess Elizabeth S. and Epsom Dash H. There will be seven bet types available--win, place, quinella, quinella place (swinger), forecast (exacta), tierce (trifecta) and treble (pick the winner in three selected races)--and...

Decorated jockey Silvestre de Sousa has been suspended for 10 months by the Hong Kong Jockey Club after pleading guilty to a betting charge.  The three-time champion jockey in Britain, who relocated to Hong Kong last year in search of better opportunities, pleaded guilty to the charge along with Vagner Borges, another Brazilian rider based in Hong Kong. Borges was banned for 12 months by HKJC stewards. Both riders were found in breach of rule 59 (3), which says that "no jockey shall bet, or facilitate the making of a...

The Hong Kong Jockey Club's World Pool reached a record turnover of £27.1 million on G1 2000 Guineas Day at Newmarket, up from £26.1 million 12 months ago. World Pool is the globe's largest commingled horse racing pool and betting operators from 28 countries enable racing fans from all over the globe to bet into one single pool. The 2000 Guineas produced the highest turnover on the eight-race card with nearly £4.7 million bet into the race, which was won for the fourth-and likely final time as he retires at...

World Pool, the largest commingled horse racing pools created and powered by the Hong Kong Jockey Club (HKJC), will return to the UK for the first time this year on Saturday for the QIPCO 2000 Guineas Day at Newmarket. It will be the first of eight UK fixtures World Pool will offer in the second quarter of the year. All eight races on 2000 Guineas Day will be commingled, with pool betting operators from 28 countries betting into World Pool on seven different wager type--win, place, quinella, quinella place (swinger),...

Following the news that the domestic prize-money in Hong Kong will increase by 8% during the 2023/24 season, the 2024 FWD Champions Day Group 1 prize-money will also rise to a combined HK$72 million, the Hong Kong Jockey Club (HKJC) announced on Thursday. The 2000-metre G1 FWD QEII Cup will be run for a purse of HK$28 million (£2,863,265/€3,240,543/$3,566,929) (+12%), making it the richest 2000-metre turf race in the world. The 1200-metre G1 Chairman's Sprint Prize and the 1600-metre G1 FWD Champions Mile will each hold a purse of HK$22...

Saturday's Saudi Cup card earned HK$197,800,866 ($25.5m) in globally commingled turnover via pari-mutuel organisations from over 20 countries, the Hong Kong Jockey Club World Pool announced on Tuesday. The day's showpiece, the $20-million G1 Saudi Cup, was the most bet contest on the day at HK$48,388,160 ($6.2m), higher than any race commingled at either of the first two World Pool racedays of the year in South Africa and Australia. It was won by Japan's Panthalassa (Jpn) (Lord Kanaloa {Jpn}). Other highlights included World Pool ambassador Frankie Dettori winning the G3...

Frankie Dettori, who is riding his final season in 2023, has been named a World Pool ambassador. The partnership will see the Italian write regular blogs and content in advance of World Pool racedays this year, beginning with the second day of the $30.35-million Saudi Cup meeting on Saturday, which features the $20-million G1 Saudi Cup, and five Group 3 contests. Dettori, who is riding 2022 Saudi Cup runner-up Country Grammer (Tonalist) in the 1800-metre Group 1, said, "I've got a lot of different places to visit on my final...