Romantic Warrior and Forever Young had a thrilling finish in Saturday’s G1 Saudi Cup, with the Japanese horse emerging victorious in a race that ranks among the top five most bet-on races since World Pool began operations in 2019.
With a complete field of 14 participants, the same as in 2024, including a worldwide superstar from Hong Kong, the total amount risked on World Pool bet types increased 38% year on year to HK$62.64 million (about £6.4 million), a race record.
Combined with turnover from five races earlier in the day at Caulfield, Australia, the 12-race cross-card World Pool event produced HK$382 million in World Pool bet types, the third biggest total of all time.
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Sam Nati, Head of Commingling at the Hong Kong Jockey Club, stated: “There’s no doubt that this year’s Saudi Cup field was the most interesting we’ve ever seen for the race.
The participation of Hong Kong’s superstar, Romantic Warrior, would have been a major draw for local fans, as evidenced by the betting turnover. Though barely rejected, it was a bold bid by everyone involved with the horse, and they deserve a lot of respect for rising to the occasion.
The Saudi Cup is now firmly on the world racing calendar, and we want to return in a year’s time. For the second year in a row, World Pool featured 12 races on the day, with seven from Saudi Arabia and five from Caulfield, and bettors showed a strong appetite across both cards.”
Top 5 World Pool Days Turnover:
| Rank | Date | Race Day | Jurisdiction | Racecourse | No of Races | Turnover (HK$) |
| 1 | 19/10/2024 | King Charles III Stakes Day & Caulfield Cup & British Champions Day | Australia & Australia & UK | Randwick & Flemington & Ascot | 12 | 424.1m |
| 2 | 01/06/2024 | Queensland Derby Day & Derby Stakes Day | Australia & UK | Eagle Farm & Epsom | 12 | 385.2m |
| 3 | 22/02/2025 | Futurity Stakes Day & Saudi Cup Day | Australia & Saudi Arabia | Caulfield & King Abdulaziz | 12 | 382.0m |
| 4 | 30/03/2024 | Australian Cup Day & Tancred Stakes Day & Dubai World Cup Day | Australia & Australia & UAE | Flemington & Rosehill & Meydan | 12 | 378.1m |
| 5 | 17/06/2022 | Commonwealth Cup Day | UK | Ascot | 7 | 351.8m |
Top 5 World Pool Races Turnover:
| Rank | Date | Race Name | Jurisdiction | Racecourse | Turnover (HK$) |
| 1 | 24/06/2023 | Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes | UK | Ascot | 66.20m |
| 2 | 04/06/2022 | Derby Stakes | UK | Epsom | 66.09m |
| 3 | 17/06/2022 | Coronation Stakes | UK | Ascot | 64.11m |
| 4 | 22/02/2025 | Saudi Cup | Saudi Arabia | King Abdulaziz | 62.64m |
| 5 | 18/06/2022 | Platinum Jubilee Stakes | UK | Ascot | 61.62m |
Upcoming World Pool Fixtures:
| 08/03/2025 | NZ Derby Day | New Zealand | Ellerslie |
| 08/03/2025 | Canterbury Stakes Day | Australia | Randwick |
| 08/03/2025 | Newmarket Handicap Day | Australia | Flemington |
| 29/03/2025 | Tancred Stakes Day | Australia | Rosehill |
| 29/03/2025 | Australian Cup Day | Australia | Flemington |
| 29/03/2025 | SA Derby Day | South Africa | Turffontein |
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