MICK KINANE ON THE IRISH DERBY
Worldpool - bet with the world
World Pool is a collaboration between global totes and the Hong Kong Jockey Club (HKJC).
World Pool allows bettors from all over the globe to bet into a single pool, bringing them together into one multi-million pound pool betting experience. It's like the EuroMillions version of the lottery.
Through national commingling, racing fans from over 20 nations including Hong Kong, Australia, France, the USA, the UK and Ireland all effectively bet into the same pool for each race.
World Pool in Ireland is operated by the Tote. You can bet with the Tote at tote.co.uk, tote.ie, or on the Tote App, at a racecourse, or with a bookmaker as most offer Tote bets in shops and online.
Star Spotlight - Yudish Geerdharry
Yudish Geerdharry grew up watching horse racing as a child in Mauritius. Despite not coming from an equine background, Yudish started riding ponies as a young boy but his first venture into riding racehorses was when he arrived in Ireland in 2018 when he and his family moved here.
He is now an apprentice jockey based with Curragh trainer Johnny Murtagh and his first success on the racecourse came aboard Wave Machine in the Birdcatcher Premier Nursery Handicap at Naas at the end of the 2022 flat season.
Star Spotlight - Eddie Linehan
Eddie Linehan is a Bloodstock Agent & Breeze Up Consignor. Eddie has experienced most areas of the thoroughbred industry and is now putting his experience to good use as a breeze-up consignor & bloodstock agent. Eddie is a regular at the bloodstock sales purchasing horses for himself and for clients, along with this he also prepares horses for the breeze up sales which are sales where when unraced 2-year-olds horses are ridden and galloped or 'breezed' on the racecourse.
Many flat trainers purchase 2-year-old racehorses at the breeze-up sales, as often these are progressive horses who are ready to make their debut on the racecourse. In this video, Eddie explains the work that goes into prepping horses and buying at the sales.
From the Curragh to Ascot: Getting to know the famous Flat courses
There are 23 flat racecourses in Ireland and 60 in the UK. Just like The Aviva for Rugby or Croke Park for GAA, there are certain courses that mean more for jockey, trainer and punter alike. These tracks host the biggest races throughout the year and attract the biggest crowds. Here are four of the biggest courses across Ireland and the UK and what you can expect from them this year.
The Curragh (County Kildare, Ireland)
When it comes to Irish flat racing, The Curragh is the place to be. Based in County Kildare, approximately 50km from Dublin, The Curragh has played host to Irish flat racing officially since 1727. From the end of March until the end of October, there are 23 days of racing at The Curragh, which also hosts all five Irish Classics – the 2,000 Guineas, 1,000 Guineas, Derby, Oaks and St Leger. Jonny Murtagh is the top jockey in the course’s history with 330 wins, while Aidan O’Brien tops the trainer list with over 600 wins and counting – including famous victories by legendary horses such as Yeats, Australia and Enable. The course has a capacity of 30,000, including 6,000 in the refurbished main stand, which can be seen on several days throughout the spring and summer.
Ascot (Berkshire, England)
Located just an hour outside of central London is Ascot racecourse, most famous for its Royal meeting every June. A key part of the racing and social calendar, Royal Ascot has been running since 1807, each day since 1825 beginning with the royal procession, a tradition started by King George IV. Queen Anne was influential in converting the venue into a racecourse in 1711, which is marked every year by the Queen Anne Stakes, which opens Royal Ascot. Ascot welcomes 600,000 people per year across 26 days of racing, 18 of which are flat meetings – including other high-profile events such as the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth QIPCO Stakes and British Champions Day. Aidan O’Brien’s Yeats is a four-time Ascot Gold Cup winner, while last year's win for Kyprios, also a product of Ballydoyle, was a first Irish winner since 2016 in Royal Ascot's showpiece race.
Epsom (Surrey, England)
Also around an hour away from central London, Epsom Downs is known mainly for hosting two classic races – the Epsom Derby and the Oaks. Epsom is another racecourse that is packed full of history, with a first recorded race dating back to 1661. Three of the biggest races in the sport take place over two days in the June meeting – the Derby, the Oaks and the Coronation Cup, which can attract as many as 130,000 people. Aidan O'Brien is the record winner of the Epsom Derby, winning the race eight times – in 2001, 2002, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2017, 2019 and 2020.
Doncaster (Yorkshire, England)
Doncaster Racecourse is one of the oldest in Britain, with records of racing dating back to 1595. Nowadays it hosts the St. Leger Stakes and The Doncaster Cup, two of the oldest races in the world. The Doncaster Cup, the oldest continuous regulated horse race in the world, is part of the British Stayers’ Triple Crown along with the Goodwood Cup and Ascot Gold Cup. But the big race on the Yorkshire course is the St. Leger Stakes, a race that has run since 1776, making it the oldest classic race in the world. Both of those races take place in the September meeting, at the end of the flat season. Joseph O'Brien is the most recent Irish winner of the St Leger, claiming the 2020 crown with Galileo Chrome.
Who are the star attractions this year & Who should I back?
Of the three-year-old stock, Mawj delivered an impressive victory in the 1,000 Guineas and could be one to watch at the Irish equivalent and the Epsom Oaks. Aidan O’Brien will be thirsty for revenge after Grade 1 disappointment at Newmarket with Auguste Rodin and Little Big Bear leading the charge for the master of Ballydoyle this summer. Among the older horses, there are a host of stars to keep an eye on including last year’s Derby winner Desert Crown and the soon-to-be-retiring Highfield Princess.
Some choose a horse because of its name or its colour, while some will investigate its breeding and bloodstock. However you decide to bet, there will always be a bit of luck involved. Ultimately, it’s about having fun and doing what works for you.