Irish St Leger added to World Pool agenda
World Pool
08/08/2024
Irish G1 race day joins new World Pool fixtures from Australia, Argentina and Germany
-
Eldar Eldarov and David Egan win last year’s Irish St Leger (Credit Focus on Racing)
Wednesday 7 August 2024 – World Pool will make its debut on Irish St Leger Day from the Curragh, as one of three race meetings the globally commingled pools will be active at across the weekend of September 14/15.
Irish St Leger Day on September 15, which features the G1 Irish St Leger, forms part of Irish Champions Weekend along with Irish Champions Stakes Day from Leopardstown, and for the first time World Pool will be active on both days.
Irish St Leger Day will be the fourth World Pool day held in Ireland this year, double the number of Irish World Pool fixtures from 2023.
Another new World Pool event, Makybe Diva Stakes Day from Flemington in Australia, will join Irish Champion Stakes Day and Irish St Leger Day on the same weekend.
Brian Kavanagh, Chief Executive Officer of the Curragh Racecourse, said: “The Curragh is very pleased that the second day of the Irish Champions Festival featuring the Comer Group Irish St Leger has been added to the 2024 World Pool roster. This is the only day of the year when we run four Group 1 races in Ireland, and each year it features champions over various ages and distances.
“The Curragh’s partnership with the World Pool started in 2023 with the Irish Derby meeting and we were delighted that it was expanded this year to include two further Group 1 race days. The relationship with World Pool and with the Hong Kong Jockey Club is highly valued here at the Curragh and we look forward to developing it further in the future.”
A further two new race days have been added to the World Pool roster for the remainder of 2024, with World Pool active for the first time on Grosser Preis von Bayern Day (November 10) from Munich, Germany and in operation for Argentina’s G1 Gran Premio Carlos Pellegrini (December 15) from San Isidro.
Further confirmed World Pool dates include the returning Grosser Preis von Baden Day from Germany; King Charles III Stakes Day, Caulfield Cup Day and Victoria Derby Day from Australia and British Champions Day from the UK.
Michael Fitzsimons, Executive Director, Wagering Products at the HKJC, said: “It’s been another busy period for World Pool, and we’re delighted to maintain the momentum by announcing our updated programme for the final five months of 2024.
“We are always looking to strengthen our offering and by adding new World Pool race days from Ireland, Australia, Argentina and Germany to our roster for the remainder of the year, we continue to offer our global customers exciting, high-quality racing from all corners of the world.”
World Pool returns from trips to South Africa, Germany, Ascot and Goodwood
World Pool’s globally commingled pools have been in action across three countries in the last few weeks, with the busy period beginning on King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes Day at Ascot on July 27.
It was a day marked by a mammoth performance in the G1 King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes, by French-trained raider Goliath, who slammed his rivals under a typically cool ride from Christophe Soumillon.
A day later, World Pool moved on to Champions Cup Day from Greyville in South Africa, as well debuting on Grosser Preis Bayerisches Zuchtrennen Day from Munich.
At Greyville, Dave The King, trained by Mike de Kock and ridden by Richard Fourie, took out the G1 HKJC Champions Cup, while at Munich the G1 Grosser Preis Bayerisches Zuchtrennen went the way of Calif under veteran rider Adrie de Vries.
For a fourth year in succession, World Pool was in operation on the first three days of Glorious Goodwood: Goodwood Cup Day, Sussex Stakes Day and Nassau Stakes Day.
Kyprios lowered the track record in winning the G1 Goodwood Cup, Notable Speech bounced back to his best to win the G1 Sussex Stakes and Opera Singer produced a gutsy performance to get the better of her elders in the G1 Nassau Stakes.
World Pool then headed to Düsseldorf for German Oaks Day on Sunday 4 August, another meeting that was making its World Pool debut, which saw the once-raced Erle maintain her unbeaten record with a stylish win in the feature race.
Tote offered great value for World Pool punters in the UK and Ireland, beating SP in 14 of the 23 races across the three World Pool days from Glorious Goodwood.
Tote value on World Pool races the Qatar Goodwood Festival 2024 (Days 1-3)
- Tote Win beat the Industry Starting Price in 14 out of the 23 races and matched on the remaining 9 occasions (on average 9% bigger on the Tote)
- Tote Win overround was 111% versus an industry Starting Price of 118%
- Tote Exacta beat Forecast in 19 out of the 23 races (on average 34% bigger on the Tote)
- Tote Trifecta beat Tricast in 16 out of the 17 races where it operated (on average 57% bigger on the Tote)
Alex Frost, Chief Executive of the UK Tote, said: “The Qatar Goodwood Festival has once again produced a wonderful week of racing, with top class horses and some fantastic performances.
“UK and Irish racing fans betting with the Tote, both online and at the racecourse, enjoyed outstanding value, with 14 of the 23 winners across the three World Pool days paying bigger and the pool operating to a 111% overround, compared to 118% with bookmakers. We would like to thank all involved and look forward to the next British World Pool days at York’s Ebor Festival.”
Upcoming World Pool events:
August
Sunday 11: Grosser Preis von Berlin Day – Hoppegarten Racecourse (P)
Wednesday 21: International Stakes Day – York Racecourse (F)
Thursday 22: Yorkshire Oaks Day – York Racecourse (F)
Friday 23: Nunthorpe Stakes Day – York Racecourse (F)
September
Sunday 1: Grosser Preis von Baden Day – Baden-Baden Racecourse (P)
Saturday 14: Makybe Diva Stakes Day – Flemington Racecourse (P)
Saturday 14: Irish Champion Stakes Day – Leopardstown Racecourse (F)
Sunday 15: Irish St. Leger Day – Curragh Racecourse (P)
October
Saturday 19: King Charles III Stakes Day – Randwick Racecourse (P)
Saturday 19: Caulfield Cup Day – Caulfield Racecourse (S)
Saturday 19: British Champions Day – Ascot Racecourse (F)
November
Saturday 2: Victoria Derby Day – Flemington Racecourse (F)
Sunday 10: Grosser Preis von Bayern Day – Munich Racecourse (P)
December
Sunday 15: Gran Premio Carlos Pellegrini – San Isidro Racecourse (S)
*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
