Victoria crowned 'deadliest' state for racehorses by activists

Key points

• An animal welfare group has declared Victoria the deadliest state for racehorses in the last racing season. The Coalition for the Protection of Racehorses says its DeathWatch report recorded 48 horse deaths in Victoria between August 2025 and July 2026.
• Racing Victoria called the figure misleading and said there were 22 racing fatalities. The industry body said the list included horses that died from colic, paddock accidents and a road accident.
• The group says it wants greater transparency from racing bodies about horse deaths.