Three World Pool fixtures in three days from UAE, New Zealand and Hong Kong
World Pool will return to action with three fixtures in the space of three days on Al Maktoum Challenge Day (January 23) from the UAE and Railway Stakes Day (January 24) from New Zealand, before the Group 1 Stewards’ Cup and Group 1 Centenary Sprint Cup in Hong Kong are commingled on January 25.
Al Maktoum Challenge Day from Meydan is returning as a World Pool event for a second year, with the programme, including the Group 1 Al Maktoum Challenge and Group 1 Jebel Hatta, extended this year to four races from two in 2025.
Last year, Hong Kong superstar Romantic Warrior blitzed his opposition in the Jebel Hatta, setting a new 1800m track record in the process, and while he won’t line up this year, the Group 1 still looks an intriguing contest with Godolphin duo Opera Ballo and Nations Pride topping the ratings.
Walk Of Stars returns to defend his crown in the Group 1 Al Maktoum Challenge, with stablemate Imperial Emperor and the UK-trained Heart Of Honour looking his biggest threats.
Similarly, Railway Stakes Day from Ellerslie is also returning as a World Pool event for a second year, with the programme extended to six races this year, up from three in 2025.
The feature contest on the card is the Group 1 Railway Stakes, won last year by Crocetti, and the Danny Walker & Arron Tata-trained five-year-old is aiming this year to become the first back-to-back winner since Mr Tiz in 1990.
Two Group 3 and two Listed races, as well as the HKJC World Pool Jo Giles Stakes – a newly sponsored race for 2026 – are also set to be commingled.
With six World Pool races on the card, the second World Pool Moment of the Day of 2026 will also be chosen from Ellerslie, which will see the groom and stable staff of the winner receive a cheque for HK$40,000 as well as entry into the World Pool Moment of the Year competition.
Following the fixtures from Meydan and Ellerslie on 23 January and 24 January, World Pool will commingle the first Group 1 races from Hong Kong this year on 25 January, with the G1 Centenary Sprint Cup and G1 Stewards’ Cup from Sha Tin once again part of the programme.
Last year’s Centenary Sprint Cup winner Ka Ying Rising, recently named 2025 LONGINES highest-rated sprinter in the world and Hong Kong’s highest-rated horse ever, will aim to make it back-to-back wins in the race as he seeks to equal Silent Witness’ record 17-straight wins in Hong Kong.
Voyage Bubble, the 2025 Stewards’ Cup victor, will also attempt to repeat the feat this year, but now faces 11-time Group 1 winner, Romantic Warrior, a rival he has yet to defeat in three previous meetings.
The G1 Railway Stakes, G1 Centenary Sprint Cup and G1 Stewards’ Cup all feature on the International Federation of Horseracing Authorities (IFHA) Top 100 G1 races in the last three years, underlining the quality of World Pool’s offering across the upcoming days.
All 12 races from Meydan, Ellerslie and Sha Tin will be available to World Pool customers in 27 jurisdictions.
The World Pool bet types available on each of the three fixtures are as follows:
Al Maktoum Challenge Day: Win, Place, Quinella, Quinella Place (Swinger), Forecast (Exacta), Tierce (Trifecta)
Railway Stakes Day: Win, Place, Quinella, Quinella Place (Duet), Tierce (Trifecta), Double, Treble
Centenary Sprint Cup & Stewards’ Cup: Win, Place, Quinella, Quinella Place, Forecast, Tierce, Quartet, Trio, First 4
*Not every partner is taking all these bet-types so please refer to latest information by the operator(s) in your region.
For the full World Pool fixtures up to March 2026, please visit here.
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Feature photo credit: HKJC
