As racing turns its attention to Australia's biggest three-day county carnival at Warrnambool comes the news that our former stable star and Wangoom Handicap hero Royal Island has been officially retired.

A regular at the 'Bool over the last three years, the eight-year-old has returned to the Yarra Valley property of his owner Eddie Hirsch after a brief stint racing in Tasmania.

Royal Island was for a couple of seasons one of the best wet trackers in Victoria and made an immediate impression as a young horse. At just his fourth start he was first past the post in Saturday grade at Caulfield before controversially losing the race on protest.

However he didn't take long to make amends and gave the stable one of it's biggest thrills in racing when he thrashed his rivals to win the 2015 Wangoom under Jason Benbow, after only gaining a run on the morning of the race.

Royal Island returned the next year to defend his title and was a brave second behind Yesterday's Songs, before running down the track in the 2017 edition.

The son of Dubawi retires with six wins and seven placings and almost $300,000 in prize money.

Thanks for the memories big fella!