Vale Bill Gibbins

It is with great sadness that Racing Victoria (RV) and Country Racing Victoria (CRV) acknowledge the passing of philanthropist and highly respected contributor to the Victorian racing industry Bill Gibbins following a long battle with illness.

Gibbins’s passion for charity, history and racing was legendary, and his loss will be felt across all parts of the community.

The Jericho Cup, run for the eighth time on Sunday at Warrnambool, remains Gibbins’s racing legacy, having revived the concept in 2018.

At the time, Gibbins had become enamored with the story of Bill the Bastard and the original Jericho Cup, a wartime desert race, and pitched the idea to honour the bravery and sacrifice of the mounted troops and their horses from World War I.

In an incredible act of generosity, Gibbins funded the prizemoney and trainer bonus for the first four editions of the race with his own money.

Thanks to Gibbins, the race remains a feature in Victoria’s West with this year’s edition, won for the second time by the Aaron Purcell-trained Farag, closing out the Spring Racing Carnival.

In 2007, when one of Australia's most illustrious military engagements, the Rats of Tobruk, could no longer afford the upkeep of their Albert Park Headquarters where they had held meetings for nearly 50 years, Gibbins outbid property developers to purchase the property.

In a stunning act, Gibbins then told the veteran group that they were welcome to stay as long as they needed, stating, “I thought I'd buy it and let you keep it going, because we owe you a debt that can't possibly be repaid.”

Gibbins was also a significant figure in the transport industry as the founder of his family-owned transport services company Full Container Load, which he later sold to Linfox in 2006.

His list of charitable contributions runs longer than the Jericho Cup itself and includes organisations like Riding for the Disabled Association of Australia and Wheelchairs for Kids.

Gibbins was awarded Member of the Order of Australia in the Queen’s Birthday Honours in June 2021 for significant service to horse racing and to people with disability as well as his philanthropist generosity.

Gibbins and his wife Iolanda are both life members of the Warrnambool Racing Club and Bill was inducted into the Club’s Hall of Fame in 2024.

“Our heartfelt condolences go out to Bill Gibbins’s family and friends on behalf of everyone at Racing Victoria and the Victorian racing industry,” said Aaron Morrison, RV’s Chief Executive Officer.

“Universally loved and highly respected, Bill’s contribution to both racing and the community cannot be understated.

“Thanks to Bill’s vision and passion, we now run Australia’s longest flat race, the Jericho Cup, a recognised and much-anticipated event on the annual racing calendar.

“Bill contributed over $1 million of his own money to fund the first four Jericho Cups because that was exactly the type of person he was – he stood up for what he believed in.

“He was passionate about Australia and its heritage and recognised the importance of remembering our service men and women, something that I’d like to personally acknowledge and respect.”

“On behalf of Country Racing Victoria, we send our sincere condolences to Bill’s family and friends on the sad news of his passing,” said Scott Whiteman, CRV Chief Executive.

“Bill was a great man and a great contributor not only to country racing and Australian racing in general, but also to the men and women that served this great country because he made sure that they received recognition through his Jericho Cup involvement.

“Bill’s amazing legacy will live on through The Jericho, a race and series that Bill was the backbone of implementing at Warrnambool back in 2018."