Irish Oaks, July Cup and Shergar Cup set to feature on expanded 2026 World Pool fixture list

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Britain and Ireland are on course to benefit from additional World Pool meetings this year as part of an expanded fixture list, with the Shergar Cup, July Cup and Irish Oaks meetings all set to be included, pending Hong Kong government approval.

Glorious Goodwood and York's Ebor festival could also increase their number of fixtures from three to four, with King George Stakes day (July 31) and City of York Stakes day (August 22), which includes the Ebor, potentially being added.

The World Pool's 2026 fixture list features several new meetings from Australia and South Africa, where ten races on King's Plate day from Kenilworth on January 10 and races from Turffontein on March 7 will be commingled for the first time.

There are a number of Australian additions confirmed for the first quarter of the year, most notably Golden Slipper day, with all ten races from Rosehill, including the Group 1 Golden Slipper, on March 21 set to feature.

Before then, the World Pool will be in operation for the first time on Australian Guineas Day at Flemington and Chipping Norton Stakes day at Randwick, both on February 28. The All Aged Stakes (April 18) and Winx Stakes (August 22) from Randwick could be added, as well as Memsie Stakes day (August 29) from Caulfield.

"World Pool continues to expand and strengthen with so many of the greatest races and racedays from around the world, and we’re delighted to be announcing further new fixtures for the first quarter of 2026," said Andrew Harding, executive director of racing at the Hong Kong Jockey Club (HKJC).

“We look forward to World Pool’s debut at new meetings in Australia and South Africa, as well as the returning fixtures in the first few months of the year, while we expect to be able to confirm further new World Pool racedays in the UK, Ireland, Australia and other countries later in the year. These are hugely exciting times for World Pool, and we plan to further build upon an excellent year in 2025.”

An increase in the number of racedays included in the World Pool led to a near 20 per cent increase in turnover on non-Hong Kong races in 2025. The number of meetings internationally commingled outside Hong Kong rose from 48 in 2024 to 57 in 2025, taking the total amount bet into the HKJC-powered pools to HK$9.3 billion (£883m/€1bn), up from HK$7.8bn in 2024 (£740m/€855m).

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