What is World Pool?
World Pool is a collaboration between global totes and the Hong Kong Jockey Club (HKJC).
World Pool allows bettors from all over the globe to bet into a single pool, bringing them together into one multi-million pound pool betting experience.
Through national commingling, racing fans from countries such as Hong Kong, Australia, France, the USA and the UK all effectively bet into the same pool for each race.
After huge success for World Pool across key British and Irish fixtures such as Royal Ascot and British Champions Day, the Hong Kong Jockey Club is set to host more World Pool days on British and Irish race meetings.
What does that mean for bettors?
By having a number of different countries betting into the same overall pool, it means racing fans can pit their wits against bettors from all around the globe. More importantly though, it means that there will be more liquidity in the pools, with opportunities better value as a consequence.
With more individuals betting into the pool it means that big stakes bettors will have less of an impact on the dividend, providing more robust betting opportunities.
UK runners could be underestimated by the international pools, or the raiders could be looked over by the UK Tote customers. This difference of opinion could ensure a bigger price that one might be expecting about certain horses on the day.
When are the World Pool days?
World Pool events 2026 include:
January
Sat 10th January – King's Plate Day – Kenilworth – South Africa – Full card: 10 races
Fri 23rd January – Al Maktoum Challenge Day – Meydan – UAE – Partial card: 4 races
Sat 31st January – Cape Town Met Day – Kenilworth – South Africa – Partial card: 10 races
February
Sat 14th February – Saudi Cup Day – King Abdulaziz – Saudi Arabia – Partial card: 7 races
Sat 28th February – Dubai Super Saturday – Meydan – UAE – Partial card: 4 races
March
Sat 7th March – H F Oppenheimer Horse Chestnut Stakes Day – Turffontein – South Africa –Partial card: 3 races
Sat 28th March – Dubai World Cup Day – Meydan – UAE – Partial card: 8 races
April
Sat 4th April – SA Derby Day – Turffontein – South Africa – Partial card: races tbc
May
Saturday 2nd May – 2000 Guineas – Newmarket – Full card: 9 races
Sunday 3rd May – 1000 Guineas – Newmarket – Single Race
Saturday 16th May – Lockinge Stakes Day – Newbury – Full card: 8 races
Saturday 23rd May – Irish 2000 Guineas – Curragh – Full card: 9 races
Sunday 24th May – Irish 1000 Guineas & Tattersalls Gold Cup – Curragh – Partial card: 2 races
June
Friday 5th June – Oaks – Epsom – Full card: 8 races (tbc)
Saturday 6th June – Derby – Epsom – Full card: 8 races
Saturday 6th June – Gold Challenge Day – Greyville – South Africa – Partial card: races tbc
Tuesday 16th June – Royal Ascot – Ascot – Full card: 7 races
Wednesday 17th June – Royal Ascot – Ascot – Full card: 7 races
Thursday 18th June – Royal Ascot – Ascot – Full card: 7 races
Friday 19th June – Royal Ascot – Ascot – Full card: 7 races
Saturday 20th June – Royal Ascot – Ascot – Full card: 7 races
Sunday 28th June – Irish Derby – Curragh – Full card: 9 races
July
Saturday 4th July – Eclipse – Sandown – Single Race
Saturday 4th July – Durban July – Greyville – South Africa – Single race
Sunday 5th July – German Derby Day – Hamburg – Germany – Partial card: Races tbc
Saturday 11th July - July Cup Day - Newmarket - Full card: 8 races (tbc)
Saturday 18th July - Irish Oaks Day - Curragh - Full card: 8/9 races (tbc)
Saturday 25th July – King George & Queen Elizabeth Stakes – Ascot – Full card: 8 races
Sunday 26th July – Champions Cup Day – Greyville – South Africa – Full card: races tbc
Sunday 26th July – Grosser Preis Bayerisches Zuchtrennen Day – Munich – Germany – Partial card: races tbc
Tuesday 28th July – Glorious Goodwood – Goodwood – Full card: 8 races
Wednesday 29th July – Glorious Goodwood – Goodwood – Full card: 7 races
Thursday 30th July – Glorious Goodwood – Goodwood – Full card: 8 races
Friday 31st July – Glorious Goodwood – Goodwood – Full card: 7 races (tbc)
August
Sunday 2nd August – German Oaks Day – Dusseldorf – Germany – Partial card: races tbc
Saturday 8th August – Shergar Cup Day – Ascot – Full card: 6 races (tbc)
Sunday 9th August – Grosser Preis von Berlin Day – Hoppegarten – Germany – Partial card: races tbc
Wednesday 19th August – York Ebor – York – Full card: 7 races
Thursday 20th August – York Ebor – York – Full card: 7 races
Friday 21st August – York Ebor – York – Full card: 7 races
Saturday 22nd August – York Ebor – York – Partial card: 5 races (tbc)
Other dates September- October - TBC
How much money is bet into World Pool?
World Pools were available on both Royal Ascot and British Champions Day last year, where bettors had the chance to win a share of some monumental pools.
As well as the straight Win and Place markets, World Pool will be in operation for a number of Exotic bets such as the Tote Swinger and Quinella, which were involved last year, plus new additions the Exacta and Trifecta.
Some of these bet types are extremely popular in other racing nations, even more so than the Win market. For example, last year at Royal Ascot, there was nearly £2 million more bet into the Quinella pools than the Win pools across the meeting.
What bet types are eligible for World Pool?
• Win – 17.5% Takeout
• Place – 17.5% Takeout
• Quinella – 17.5% Takeout
• Swinger / Quinella Place – 17.5% Takeout
• Trifecta / Tierce – 25% Takeout
• Exacta / Forecast – 19.5%
• Treble – 25%
Is there a maximum bet or maximum payout?
There are no maximum limits to the amount of money that can be staked or won on a Tote bet. (The size of the pool provides a natural limit to the available winnings)
Are there any bet types which aren’t World Pool?
The Placepot and our other multileg bets won’t be commingled. The Tote Exacta is another pool which will only be available to UK bettors.
How can I watch World Pool races?
You can watch every World Pool race live at Tote.co.uk by simply logging into your account having previously made a deposit.
More about World Pool
World Pool was created by Hong Kong Jockey Club and brings together racing fans from over 20 nations so everyone is effectively betting into one pool creating huge liquidity. It's like the EuroMillions version of the lottery.
World Pool in the UK is operated by the Tote. You can bet with the Tote at tote.co.uk, tote.ie, or on the Tote App, at a racecourse, or with a bookmaker as most offer Tote bets in shops and online.
The pool betting model means the Tote is agnostic about results so welcomes winning customers and will not restrict bet sizes.
The international nature of World Pool means there is some great value to be found across markets. For example, Hong Kong racing fans will tend to over bet on jockeys they know so shorten their price, meaning other runners are over-priced respective to their chances.
There are currently seven bet types included in World Pool. These are Win, Place, Forecast, Trifecta (first, second and third in correct order), Quinella (first two in either order) and Swinger (two in the first three) and Treble.
The 2021 Derby was a World Pool event for the first time and saw the pool grow from £1.7 million to over £26 million with winners paying more on the Tote. For example, Adayar paid £20.24 on the Tote compared to 16-1 with bookmakers.
There are 22 World Pool days on British and Irish racing in 2023, including QIPCO King George Diamond Day, first three days of the Qatar Goodwood Festival, the first three days of the Welcome to Yorkshire Ebor Festival, Longines Irish Champions Day at Leopardstown and QIPCO British Champions Day.
World Pool means bigger financial returns to British racing through increased media rights payments to racecourses and more revenue generated via pool betting.
