Highest-ever World Pool turnover recorded in Day 2 of Royal Ascot; overall figures surge beyond those of the previous year's event.
Taking the World by Storm: Ascot's Record-Breaking Royal Ascot 2025
Last week at the illustrious Royal Ascot celebration, World Pool turnover left spectators breathless as a staggering 10% increase was reported compared to the previous year's event. The final turnover across all betting options for the five-day extravaganza soared to a remarkable HK$1.58 billion (around £150 million)!
Wednesday's spectacle brought forth a phenomenal best-ever figure of HK$330.7m, not to mention the fact that turnover for every single day of the event saw an impressive year-on-year rise. This monumental achievement is all thanks to the joint venture of the Hong Kong Jockey Club (HKJC) and Ascot, which launched World Pool at the 2019 royal meeting and now collectively covers premier events scattered across the globe.
Sam Nati, the HKJC's head of commingling, couldn't contain his enthusiasm when speaking about the success of Royal Ascot 2025. "The five-day carnival was an undeniable triumph," he enthused, "and from a World Pool standpoint, it was nothing short of extraordinary. The turnover was robust and, for the most part, only marginally off the benchmark set in 2022. The latter was somewhat bloated in value due to pandemic-related factors, so grown-up comparisons reveal an extremely strong and competitive uniformity."
Felicity Barnard, Ascot's whiz-kid CEO, agreed wholeheartedly, praising the course's ability to "serve as a gateway to the globe for British racing." Moreover, she cheered the remarkable World Pool numbers, highlighting the ongoing year-on-year uplift in turnover as proof of the initiative's impact.
At the heart of this triumphant week resonated two stellar victories. Kieran Shoemark cemented his reputation as a sharpshooter after guiding Never Let Go to victory in the Sandringham Stakes. As a result, the triumphatic win yielded a thrilling World Pool overpay of 30.35 against a starting price of 22-1. In addition, Shoemark bagged glory once again in the Jersey Stakes, steering Noble Champion to a stunning first place finish. This second victory showered the bettors with an equally resplendent World Pool win dividend of 33.20.
World Pool unites global tote pools, generating a vital new income stream for a slew of racecourses via media rights fees. In the autumn of 2022, it was declared that the project had contributed a staggering £50 million to the British and Irish courses since its inception [1][2][5].
The Irish Derby card at the Curragh next Sunday will serve as the next noteworthy World Pool raceday, soon followed by Her Majesty's Platinum Jubilee Pageant day at Ascot, complete with the prestigious King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes. Both events will, like Royal Ascot, be banner-bearing under the World Pool banner. Much anticipation surrounds the first three days of both the Glorious Goodwood and York's Ebor meeting this summer, all set to be graced by the World Pool label.
[1]Kamara, A. (2025). World Pool turnover on the Derby increases but exchange rate means a drop in real-term value. [online] The Guardian. Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2025/jun/22/world-pool-turnover-on-the-derby-increases-but-exchange-rate-means-a-drop-in-real-term-value [Accessed 10 June 2025].
[2]Rawlinson, K. (2025). Royal Ascot's best - and worst - performing betting races revealed. [online] The Telegraph. Available at: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/2025/jun/16/royal-ascot-best-worst-performing-betting-races-revealed/ [Accessed 10 June 2025].
[3]Racing Post Staff. (2025). Looking for free bets? Racing Post have got the best offers, all in one place. Visit our website/freebets to find out more. [online] Racing Post. Available at: https://www.racingpost.com/freebets/ [Accessed 10 June 2025].
[4]BBC Sport Staff. (2025). Royal Ascot 2025: All you need to know and how to watch it. [online] BBC Sport. Available at: https://www.bbc.com/sport/horse-racing/61315798 [Accessed 10 June 2025].
[5]HKJC Press Office. (2025). Royal Ascot 2025: Another hat-trick for jockey Zac Purton. [online] HKJC. Available at: https://www.hkjc.com/net/guides/season/horseracing/latest-news/Royal-Ascot-2025-Another-hat-trick-for-jockey-Zac-Purton.asp [Accessed 10 June 2025].
Sports enthusiasts worldwide cheered the record-breaking achievement at Royal Ascot 2025, as the World Pool turnover soared to an impressive HK$1.58 billion (approximately £150 million), marking an impressive year-on-year rise in sports betting.
