Derby a big draw for international punters as World Pool hits record £5.2m

Saturday's Cazoo Derby proved a big attraction for international punters as the World Pool reached £5.2 million, a record for an individual race.

A net pool of nearly £24.7m on the card was second only to Sun Met day in South Africa in January, which remains the highest figure for a single meeting.

Just under £24m was bet on Oaks day and the buoyant figures are good news for British racing, which receives a share of the turnover from the collaboration of global totes in the World Pool. Launched in 2019, the pool enables punters from all over the globe to bet into a single pot.

Alex Frost, chief executive of the UK Tote Group and an Epsom racecourse committee member, said: "It was particularly encouraging to see the Cazoo Oaks and Derby days perform so strongly. UK World Pool days go from strength to strength as awareness grows among racing fans about the value available in global pools.

"I would like to thank the Hong Kong Jockey Club for their inspirational vision for World Pool, which we share, as well as the Jockey Club and Racecourse Media Group for their continued partnership and support in growing World Pool to the benefit of British racing.”

Jockey Club chief executive Nevin Truesdale said: "World Pool is a brilliant new funding opportunity for the sport. We reinvest everything back into the sport and that will knock on to prize-money.

Nevin Truesdale: 'We reinvest everything back into the sport and that will knock on to prize-money'

"As long as World Pool continues to perform, we get those exotic bet types going and we get the field sizes, then there's mutual benefit for everyone in the industry."

The World Pool will operate at 13 more days' racing in Britain in 2022, including three each at Glorious Goodwood and the Ebor meeting at York plus all five at Royal Ascot.

ITV achieved its highest audience share since it resumed showing the Derby in 2017 with 14.3 per cent.

A peak of 1.7 million people watched the race and the programme had an average viewing figure of 839,000.

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