By Jeff Hanson

Today, Racing NSW today announced changes to the conditions for The Kosciuszko to be held at Royal Randwick on Saturday 16 October 2021.

To be eligible for The Kosciuszko in 2021, horses will need to have been under the care of an eligible NSW country or ACT trainer as at midnight 17 May 2021.

Horses entering a NSW country or ACT stable after this date are ineligible for the 2021 Kosciuszko.

In the most notable change, horses contesting The Kosciuszko in 2021 must now also remain under the care of an eligible trainer for a minimum of twelve months following the race – essentially meaning owners can’t set non-country horses for a hit and run mission at The Kosciuszko.

Finally, horses contesting The Kosciuszko must also have had at least one NSW race start under the care of the eligible trainer prior to the race.

Racing NSW Chief Executive Mr Peter V’landys explained that the changes to eligibility were to ensure ‘genuine country’ horses contested the $1.3 million event.

“Racing NSW is seeking to ensure that horses racing in The Kosciuszko are genuine country trained horses and meet the intentions of staging this marquee race,” he said.  

The eligibility for the Country Championships series in 2022 will also require that horses have been under the care of an eligible NSW country or ACT trainer as at midnight 17 May 2021.

Further, for The Kosciuszko race from 2022 onwards and the Country Championships from 2023 onwards, the eligibility date will be the date of the previous year’s Kosciuszko race and Country Championships Final, respectively.

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