The inaugural meeting of the Kumara Jockey Club (now the Kumara Racing Club) took place on Wednesday 27 July 1887. At this meeting the Mayor of the Kumara Borough Council, Mr Henry Burger, announced that the Council had prepared a racecourse on a 60 acre reserve and intended building a grandstand there. These facilities could be leased by the formally set up club. Plans for the grandstand were prepared by Mr James Corbett. Mr Burger became the club's first president and James Corbettt won the contract for the construction of the course. The first race meeting was held on December 28th 1887, and meetings have been held each year within a few weeks of that date since then.

The stand was originally an open structure but was roofed over in 1901 by Mr H. Mordaunt. Following a 1948 report that the stand was unsound, substantial repairs were undertaken and some modernisation was carried out.

The club has battled financial problems throughout its life, and has been threatened with closure on more than one occasion. In both 1905 and 1920, it survived only through the generosity of members. In 1948, the Report of the Royal Commission on Gaming and Racing recommended that the club's licence be revoked. The public rallied around, and the 1949 meeting broke all records. Despite this enthusiasm however, the club continued to struggle against enforced centralisation through the 1960s and 70s. [In the early 1980s Prime Minister Robert Muldoon intervened on behalf of the locals to retain the races at Kumara].

Today the fate of the club rests with the Racing Authority, who hold that if a club is funded and maintained locally, it is not opposed to their continuing. As of 2004, the Kumara Racing Club is still in the running, supported by the entire Kumara community, rather than just racing-focussed persons. The race meeting held on 10th January 2004 reflected the general interest that the event attracts today, with a large crowd patronising what has become an iconic event. Many people journeyed long distances to enjoy the festive, picnic atmosphere. A new feature of the racecourse amenities is the 115 year old band rotunda, donated by the Greymouth Jockey Club and recently relocated from Omoto. The restoration was funded by a former Kumara resident Cushla Martini and her husband Barry Colman (National Business Review owners.) The renowned Kokatahi Band performed here this year as they have done as long as anyone can remember.

The Kumara Racing Club leases the property from the Westland District Council, paying $52 per annum. The club is responsible for the upkeep of all the facilities.