Tote update for April

Introduction

This month we’re transitioning from jumps to the flat, with a summary on Cheltenham and Aintree and a look ahead to upcoming World Pool days across the summer.

As ever, we are very grateful to the team at the ROA for sharing these updates on our behalf.

If you have any questions, or there are any areas you would like to discuss with us in more detail, please email our Communications and Corporate Affairs Director, Susannah Gill, on [email protected].

The Tote at the Cheltenham Festival and Aintree Grand National Meeting

We were delighted to work with the ROA team to ensure that members at Cheltenham in the ROA Marquee had the chance to hear from Tote ambassadors, Danny Mullins and Richard Johnson, ahead of racing for each of the four days. There was also a Daily Tipping Challenge which saw each winning take home £100 in Tote bet credits and a pair of tickets to a Tote Sponsored race day.

In terms of performance the Tote had a very successful Cheltenham Festival and Aintree Grand National meeting, offering exceptional value to customers as illustrated below:

Cheltenham Festival:

• Tote+ Win price beat the SP on 23/28 races and matched on the remaining 5;
• Tote+ Exacta beat Forecast in 24/28 races; and
• Tote+ Trifecta beat Tricast in 21/26 races.

Aintree Grand National Meeting:

• Tote+ Win price beat the SP on 13/21 races and matched on the remaining 8; and
• Tote+ Exacta beat Forecast in 20/21 races; and
• Tote+ Trifecta beat Tricast in 16/17 races.

WORLD POOL IN 2022

This Saturday sees the first World Pool day on British racing in 2022.  World Pool events in Britain and Ireland will be hosted on the following days:

• QIPCO 2000 Guineas Day – Newmarket Rowley Mile Racecourse, Saturday 30^th April
• Cazoo Oaks Day – Epsom Downs Racecourse, Friday 3^rd June
• Cazoo Derby Day – Epsom Downs Racecourse, Saturday 4^th June
• Royal Ascot – Ascot Racecourse, Tuesday 14^th to Saturday 18^th June
• QIPCO King George Diamond Day – Ascot Racecourse, Saturday 23^rd July
• Qatar Goodwood Festival - Goodwood Racecourse, Tuesday 26^th to Thursday 28^th July
• Ebor Festival – York Racecourse, Wednesday 17^th to Friday 19^th August
• Longines Irish Champions Day – Leopardstown, Saturday 10^th September
• QIPCO British Champions Day – Ascot Racecourse, Saturday 15^th October

As well as providing racing fans with a competitive and exciting betting experience, World Pool helps the sport benefit from global betting activity. World Pool is a key part of the sustainable funding of international stage racing and, over the last three seasons, this has enabled participating racecourses to fund increases in prize money to record levels, with a total of £24.8 million on offer for those 17 World Pool days.

In addition to improved prize money levels, participating racecourses, in some cases, have amended the race programme to create attractive racing opportunities on all World Pool days. All stakeholders would very much appreciate owners' support of World Pool events, as it is especially important we all work together to ensure that there are at least seven runners in all races on World Pool days. This allows the full suite of betting products to be available for global racing fans, thereby maximizing the financial return to the sport.

As a thank you from all partners of World Pool, all owners with runners at World Pool events will be sent a bottle of Champagne and a £50 Tote Credit to spend with the Tote. Ascot’s summer meetings are excluded as the racecourse is providing a £25,000 trainer and stable prize on QIPCO King George Diamond Day, as a further incentive towards building field sizes for this World Pool event.

The international nature of World Pool means there are significant increases in pool sizes, therefore offering some great value. For example, the tote.co.uk Win price beat the Starting Price in 21 of the 35 races at Royal Ascot in 2021 (and was matched on the remaining 14 via its Tote Guarantee). The biggest World Pool in 2021 was on the Coolmore Wootton Bassett Nunthorpe Stakes at York, where £3.99 million was bet, with the winner Winter Power paying 14.46 with the Tote, compared to 9/1 SP. World Pool is accessed in Great Britain and Ireland via the Tote. You can bet with the Tote at tote.co.uk and tote.ie, on the Tote App, at a racecourse, or with a bookmaker as most offer Tote bets in shops and online.

We’re looking forward to a successful World Pool season which we will update you on in the coming months.

For more information about the UK Tote Group please visit www.uktotegroup.com and follow us @UKToteGroup and @ToteRacing.