Renowned Rider Joins the Hong Kong Jockey Club-Powered Initiative to Promote Global Racing and French Fixtures
World Pool has officially signed French Champion Jockey Mickaël Barzalona as its newest brand ambassador, expanding its roster of on-track talent tied to the commingled racing pools created and powered by the Hong Kong Jockey Club.
Under the terms of the agreement, Barzalona will publish regular blog content and provide pre-raceday insights focusing on key French fixtures where World Pool partners with Pari Mutuel Urbain (PMU). Additionally, the jockey will share his views on other major World Pool races and feature prominently in upcoming advertising and marketing campaigns.
Barzalona serves as a retained rider for the Aga Khan Stud and has earned widespread acclaim through associations with elite horses, including the 2025 Longines Horse of the Year, Calandagan, and the 2025 Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe winner Daryz.
Executive and Ambassador Commentary
Expressing his enthusiasm for the role, Mickaël Barzalona stated:
“It’s fantastic to be an ambassador for World Pool, which has benefited the global racing industry in many ways over the last few years. Hopefully the partnership between World Pool and the PMU can help show French racing to a wider audience and give back to the sport. In France we have some of the greatest racing around and I’m excited to share my thoughts as a World Pool ambassador on our top-class racing to fans in Hong Kong and around the world.”
Andrew Harding, Executive Director, Racing at the Hong Kong Jockey Club, added:
“Mickaël Barzalona is a greatly respected name in France, here in Hong Kong and on the wider international stage, and we are delighted to welcome him as a World Pool ambassador. As a French Champion Jockey that has won countless international Group 1s, Mickaël is without doubt one of the leading riders in the world, as well as an eloquent and respected voice for horse racing globally. With World Pool’s strategic partnership with the PMU, Mickaël is the ideal person to highlight the best of French racing to our global audience. His passion and dedication to horse racing align with the ideals of the World Pool brand and we very much look forward to working together.”
Barzalona joins four-time Longines World’s Best Jockey Ryan Moore as a World Pool ambassador. Through the “World Pool by PMU” collaboration, top French horse races are brought to international audiences under World Pool branding, with pools hosted and operated directly by PMU.
