RV Releases 2026 Jumps Racing Program

The Racing Victoria (RV) Board has reaffirmed its support of jumps racing with the early confirmation and release of the racing and trialling program for the 2026 jumps racing season.

The program is being released three months earlier than last season to provide greater certainty to participants and owners and allow further time for the education and training of jumping horses.

It takes into consideration feedback received from the Australian Jumping Racing Association (AJRA), licensed participants and host Clubs following a review of the 2025 season by RV’s Jumps Taskforce.

That review considered the effectiveness of the 11 recommendations adopted for the 2025 season and noted an improved safety record in comparison to the 2024 season.

Key features of the 2026 program are as follows:

• The season commences at Warrnambool on 26 March 2026 and concludes with the Grand National Steeplechase meeting at Sportsbet Ballarat on 16 August 2026, which will be the sole jumps-only meeting for the season;
• A restructure of race dates breaks up five consecutive weeks of racing at the end of the season to creates two streams of meetings that will better manage the horse population and help to maximise field sizes;
• With the restructure, a total of 53 races (33 hurdle and 20 steeplechase) have been programmed across 16 meetings at seven tracks prior to any divisions. Additional highweight races will be added to the former all-jumps meetings at Terang (19 April 2026) and Hamilton (12 July 2026);
• Industry funding for prizemoney across the jumps program and associated highweight races will remain consistent with 2025 levels;
• To further assist the creation of two tiers of racing and to enhance the pathway for emerging jumpers, the majority of BM120 races in the second half of the season have been converted to BM115 races, with 1JW Hurdle races also replaced by BM115 races; and
• As a result of industry demand, the trial schedule has been restructured with trials now programmed in the south-west towards season’s end at Coleraine on 20 July 2026 and a further set now in early August.

CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE 2026 VICTORIAN JUMPS RACING PROGRAM

Participants and owners are advised that key result areas such as safety metrics, participation rates and economic impacts will be continued to be reviewed at the conclusion of each jumps racing season by RV’s Jumps Taskforce.

A separate broader review of jumps racing originally flagged for the conclusion of the 2027 season will not proceed unless key result areas require the RV Board to commission one.