World Pool, the globe’s largest commingled horse racing pools created and powered by the Hong Kong Jockey Club, has joined forces with Frankie Dettori for the 2023 season, the legendary jockey’s final year in the saddle.

The partnership will see Dettori provide regular blogs and content ahead of World Pool racedays in 2023, starting at The Saudi Cup meeting this weekend where all six Group races on Saturday will be commingled globally.

World Pool ambassador Dettori said: “I’ve got a lot of different places to visit on my final year in the saddle, so it’s great to be working with World Pool who have also increased their reach to other countries and racetracks in 2023. From The Saudi Cup to Dubai and then onto all the major days in the UK and Ireland, it will hopefully be a very exciting season for all of us.”

Michael Fitzsimons, Executive Director Wagering Products of the Hong Kong Jockey Club, said: “Having Frankie on board as a torchbearer in the final year of an incredible career is absolutely brilliant for World Pool. It’s a huge year for Frankie and it’s the same for World Pool after a record breaking 2022, and we couldn’t be more thrilled to be partnering with a global icon who has done so much for the sport of horse racing.”

Speaking about his rides at The Saudi Cup on Saturday, Dettori said: “I’ve got rides in four of the big Group races, including in The Saudi Cup itself. The prize money is fantastic and hopefully we can come away with some of it.

“I’m looking forward to getting back on TRAWLERMAN in the Red Sea Turf Handicap. Winning the Ebor at York on him in the summer gave me a great thrill, so hopefully he’s in the same kind of form for this. If Subjectivist is still the same great horse he was when winning the Ascot Gold Cup two years ago, then we might find it tough to win, but he’s been off the track for a long time.

“In the Saudi Derby I’m teaming up with Bob [Baffert] on HAVNAMELTDOWN. He’s a horse that ticks a lot of boxes, but this is his first start over a mile and that’s the only thing we can’t be sure about. He’s got plenty of speed, likes to be at the front and should run a big race if he stays."

ELITE POWER comes into this off the back of five wins and he is just a very tough sprinter. I’m confident he’s a good horse, but it’s hard to assess his chances against plenty of unknown opposition.

“I’d love to win The Saudi Cup in my final year, and COUNTRY GRAMMER is a very solid contender. He never runs a bad race, has plenty of experience and proved he handles conditions when second last year. The Saudi Cup and Dubai World Cup have always been his targets and he couldn’t have felt better when winning the San Antonio Stakes in December.”

World Pool has extended its reach in 2023 with last Saturday’s Lightning Stakes Day at Flemington the first Australian meeting to be part of World Pool. The Saudi Cup makes its debut this Saturday and, for the first time, World Pool will be in operation at Newbury Racecourse in the UK with two races added to the World Pool season on Lockinge Stakes Day on 20 May.

Irish Derby Day is also set to feature amongst 18 UK and Irish events on 2 July, a day which will also include the Deutsches Derby at Hamburg-Horn, marking the first World Pool race from Germany.

In 2022, World Pool betting turnover hit a new high of HK$6 billion (approx. £622m), up from HK$4.8 billion (approx. £498m) in 2021, across the 21 racedays that were commingled, while Derby Day at Epsom recorded the single highest day of turnover with HK$66.1 million (approx. £6.8m).

*note: turnover is recorded in HK$, and approximate pound sterling figures are therefore based on current exchange rates.

Image M Kelly