Horse racing news: Eight World Pool fixtures in eight days upcoming from the UK, South Africa and Germany

World Pool will return to action at Ascot and York on Saturday 26 July, beginning a busy period for the globally commingled pools, which will then be active on racedays from Germany and South Africa, take in three days of Goodwood, and return to Germany all in the space of eight days.

All eight races on King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Stakes Day from Ascot will be part of World Pool, while this year two new World Pool races from York will be commingled, taking the total to 10 races on 26 July.

Ascot’s feature, the Group 1 King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Stakes was won last year by the Francis-Henri Graffard-trained Goliath – a performance that was named as the World Pool Moment of the Day – and Graffard could land the prize once again with leading hope Calandagan.

This year’s new York races are the Group 2 York Stakes and the Dash Handicap, and World Pool’s involvement has given both races a major prize money boost, with the York Stakes up by £15,000 to £150,000, and the Dash Handicap given a £25,000 uplift to £100,000.

Following Ascot and York, World Pool will take in 10 races on Champions Cup Day from Greyville Racecourse in South Africa on Sunday 27 July, in which World Pool will continue to be the title sponsor of the card, featuring the Group 1 HKJC Champions Cup as well as three other Group 1 races.

On the same day, Germany will host two World Pool races on Grosser Preis Bayerisches Zuchtrennen Day from Munich Racecourse. The Group 1 Grosser Preis Bayerisches Zuchtrennen Day is the second top-level race of the German season and will be a World Pool race for the second year in a row.

There will then be a day of rest on Monday before World Pool returns for three days of the Goodwood Festival in the UK from Tuesday 29 July – Thursday 31 July. The meetings will be headed by three Group 1 races, the Goodwood Cup, Sussex Stakes and Nassau Stakes – all on the International Federation of Horseracing Authorities (IFHA) Top 100 races in the past few years.

This year also sees World Pool expanding its sponsorship and exposure at Glorious Goodwood, with two sponsored races on each day.

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The Sussex Stakes looks set to see the reappearance of highly impressive St James’s Palace Stakes winner, Field Of Gold, who is already a World Pool Moment of the Day winner this season after his victory in the Irish 2000 Guineas.

World Pool Moment of the Day-winning grooms receive a cheque for £4,000 (or local equivalent) and there will be five moments chosen – on King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Stakes Day, Champions Cup Day, Goodwood Cup Day, Sussex Stakes Day and Nassau Stakes Day – in the upcoming week of fixtures.

Across all races from Ascot, York and Goodwood, jockeys will have the chance to score points, based on World Pool win odds, in the World Pool Jockeys’ Championship, which is currently led by Oisin Murphy on 114.40 points, ahead of Kieran Shoemark (63.55 points) and World Pool ambassador Ryan Moore (57.70 points).

The final fixture of next week sees World Pool return to Germany for Preis der Diana – German Oaks Day from Düsseldorf Racecourse.

Punters in 26 jurisdictions will have seven World Pool bet types – Win, Place, Quinella, Quinella Place (Swinger), Forecast (Exacta), Tierce (Trifecta) and Treble (pick the winner in three selected races) – available from Ascot and Goodwood, while the same bet types, bar the Treble, will be available on races from York, Munich and Düsseldorf. 

Five World Pool bet types – Win, Place, Quinella, Quinella Place and Forecast – will be offered on Champions Cup Day at Greyville.

Sam Nati, Head of Commingling at the Hong Kong Jockey Club, said: “It’s exciting to be heading into one of the busiest weeks for World Pool, and with the addition of new races at York on the same day as King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Stakes Day from Ascot we are set to begin a period of eight World Pool fixtures in eight days, across the UK, Germany and South Africa.

“World Pool showcases the finest international racing, with six IFHA Top 100 G1 races part of the extravaganza.”

“We look forward to returning to Greyville, Munich and Düsseldorf Racecourses, while the expansion of World Pool’s sponsorship at Goodwood this year is another exciting development as we continue to invest in the best of global racing.”

For the full World Pool fixtures up to August 2025, please visit here.

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