Every October, the spotlight shifts to Royal Randwick, where country-trained horses get their chance to take centre stage on one of Australian racing's biggest days. The Kosciuszko, named for Australia's highest peak, is the world's richest race for country-trained horses, a $2 million sprint that has made country gallopers into overnight stars since it was first run in 2018.
How It Works
The Kosciuszko is a 1200 metre set weights with penalties sprint, run at Randwick on Everest Day in mid October. Eligibility is tightly restricted. Horses must carry a NSW benchmark rating below 110 and be trained in country NSW or the ACT, with at least one NSW race start and a full year in the care of a NSW Country or ATC trainer.
Like The Everest, it's a slot race, meaning entry into the field isn't earned through the usual qualifying system of ratings and prize money won. Instead, each of the 14 starting positions is a "slot" that has to be secured separately, and in the Kosciuszko's case, the slots don't belong to wealthy owners or racing clubs. They belong to whoever holds the winning ticket.
Buying a Ticket and Landing a Slot
Anyone that is a NSW or ATC resident can take a shot at owning a slot. $5 sweepstake tickets go on sale at NSW AHA hotels with a TAB outlet, through the TAB app, and at pubs, clubs and TAB agencies across the state, with some venues running dedicated terminals just for Kosciuszko sales. In September, 14 winning tickets are drawn, one for each starting position.
Holding a winning ticket doesn't come with a horse attached. It comes with the right to find one. Ticket holders then approach the owners of eligible country-trained horses and negotiate a deal, usually splitting the horse's share of the prize money somewhere between 40 and 60 percent depending on how much bargaining power each side has. Racing NSW can help put winning ticket holders in touch with suitable horses if they don't already have one in mind. Once terms are agreed, that horse becomes the slot holder's representative in the race, running under its own trainer and jockey while the ticket holder shares in whatever it earns.
Recent Form
The race has produced its share of drama and a rare piece of history. Front Page became the first (and so far only) dual winner, taking out the 2022 edition for trainer Geoff Duryea before backing it up in 2023 under Matthew Dale, who took over the horse's training after Duryea retired. A three-peat bid in 2024 fell agonisingly short when Far Too Easy, third the year before, ran him down late.
In 2025, the mare Clear Thinking made it a first-up victory for the punters as favourite, saluting for Scone trainers Paul Messara and Leah Gavranich under jockey Tyler Schiller. Sent out at $3.70, she surged from a wide barrier to beat Gallant Star by 0.88 lengths in the final stride, continuing the race's habit of rewarding horses that save their best for the big stage.
What's Next
The 2026 running of The Kosciuszko is set for October 17 at Royal Randwick, once again sharing the day's billing with The Everest. As always, the ballot and slot negotiations will play out over the weeks beforehand, giving country trainers, owners and a lucky handful of TAB ticket holders their shot at the sport's most lucrative bush prize.
Tickets can be bought at www.tab.com.au. To register a ticket or find out more, head to www.thekosciuszko.com.au.
