UK and Irish pool season commences at Newmarket, led by world billiards tournaments.
Get ready, sports fans! The thrilling World Pool is back in action on Saturday, May 3rd, with the 2000 Guineas Day from Newmarket kicking off the season. This is also the launch of the World Pool Jockeys' Championship for a second year, where riders from UK and Irish races will compete for the top spot.
Points will be awarded based on the World Pool dividend to the winning riders of designated UK and Irish World Pool races throughout the season. Last year, Billy Loughnane clinched the title, leaving Oisin Murphy in his dust by over 90 points. Loughnane's big win was on Rashabar in the Coventry Stakes at Royal Ascot, with a huge difference in World Pool returns compared to the industry SP.
For the 2025 season, a new fixture (Lockinge Stakes Day from Newbury) and more races have been added to the World Pool calendar. The Irish 2000 Guineas Day from the Curragh will also be globally pooled for the first time. World Pool continues its aim to showcase prestigious Group 1 races from all around the globe for its global customers.
Following the Irish 2000 Guineas Day, World Pool will move to Tattersalls Gold Cup Day at the Curragh and then to Derby Stakes Day at Epsom. The 2025 Royal Ascot meeting will be six years since the inception of World Pool at the Royal Meeting in 2019, with all 35 races taking place over five days.
Ryan Moore, a world-leading jockey, has been signed as a World Pool ambassador for 2025. He will be sharing insights into his rides on World Pool days and some of the biggest topics in racing. Moore's victory aboard City Of Troy in the Derby last year was named a World Pool Moment of the Day, and the winning groom received a £4,000 prize. The victory was then shortlisted and chosen as the World Pool Moment of the Year, with the groom enjoying a VIP trip to Hong Kong later this year.
Since 2019, World Pool has contributed over £50 million to British and Irish racecourses, a figure that will undoubtedly grow throughout 2025. The 2024 season saw total turnover rise to HK$4.6bn (approx. £455m).
Sky Sports and WNT TV will broadcast the 2025 UK Open Pool Championship live in the UK and Ireland from May 6 to 11 at the Telford International Centre. The final two days will also be shown on FanDuel TV for viewers in the USA and Canada.
For cue sports enthusiasts, the World Billiards Championship (timed format) is scheduled for October 2025 in England, while the IBSF World Billiards Championship took place in Ireland in April 2025. The 2025 World Snooker Championship concluded in May 2025 in Sheffield, England.
Riders competing in the World Pool Jockeys' Championship will receive points based on the dividend of designated UK and Irish World Pool races throughout the season. The Irish 2000 Guineas Day from the Curragh, a new addition to the World Pool calendar, will be globally pooled for the first time in the 2025 season. World Pool will move to Tattersalls Gold Cup Day at the Curragh and then to Derby Stakes Day at Epsom following the Irish 2000 Guineas Day. Ryan Moore, a World Pool ambassador, shares insights into his rides on World Pool days and discusses some of the biggest topics in racing.
The 2025 UK Open Pool Championship, broadcast live by Sky Sports and WNT TV, is expected to attract a large audience from the UK and Ireland. Cue sports enthusiasts can look forward to the World Billiards Championship in England and the IBSF World Billiards Championship in Ireland, scheduled for October 2025 and April 2025, respectively. The 2025 World Snooker Championship concluded in May 2025 in Sheffield, England.
