Racing on King Island will not continue for the 2025/26 season, as the club faces the real threat that racing on the Bass Strait island will cease permanently after 134 years.
After a club meeting on Thursday, King Island Racing Club president Audrey Hamer confirmed the decision had been made in a message to members on Friday.
“Not enough trainers were able to commit with the number of horses required for a race meeting – a minimum of five races a day with a minimum field of five horses per race,” she said.
“We want to thank those trainers who were still keen to go ahead, but unfortunately the risk was too great.
“The KIRC was not prepared to rely on last minute offers of owners/trainers sending horses to King Island just before the season started.
“The numbers would still only have been the bare minimum and would not have allowed for any horses being unable to race due to injury.”
The KIRC had announced in March this year that the club needed to have final numbers confirmed by the end of July, but after several public please, the racing season was unable to proceed.
“Tasracing assisted with communication on several occasions to trainers about the season,” she said.
“I would like to thank it for its efforts. I would also like to thank those who attended the meeting on King Island last night to show their support.”
The club said its intention to hold a race season on the Island in 2026/27 and work will start on planning for this immediately.
Warwick Barr
Tasracing had recently devised a reduced racing schedule for 2025/26 of four meetings throughout January, with a starter incentive offered to entice owners and trainers to a unique racing enclave that has been part of the Australian racing landscape for more than 130 years.
Traditionally, the KIRC season opens from late November and runs through until the end of January.
The club requires a thoroughbred population of at least 30 horses to ensure continuity over a two-month racing period. But, for this season at least, that has proven too difficult a task to achieve.
