The Kosciuszko Tips 2026: Predictions & Best Bets

Chidiac is our best bet for The Kosciuszko and one of the leading chances in the market. The mare has won seven of her 13 career starts, and her record suggests she has the class to win a race of this quality.

Her standout performance earlier this preparation came in the Listed Hawkesbury Crown over 1300m on May 2. Chidiac settled close to the speed and fought hard in the straight to defeat Surfin’ Bird by a nose, and that form has been franked.

Punters get value odds for the second favourite, and she should be tough to hold out with James McDonald riding. He’s a big race rider, and he’ll no doubt put her in a winning position.

Gallant Star is our next best selection, and he could run better than his odds suggest.

The gelding finished second in the 2025 Kosciuszko over 1200m at Randwick, beaten by Clear Thinking after producing a competitive performance. That result demonstrated his ability to handle the pressure of this particular race and compete against some of the best country-trained sprinters.

His record at Randwick is also encouraging. He has recorded two wins, two seconds, and three thirds from 12 starts at the course, while his 1200m record includes a win and a placing from six attempts. Those statistics suggest the track and distance are suitable.

We understand his form last prep wasn’t good. However, he took on some tough fields, and he should feel right at home here.

Our best roughie is My Last Hooray, who offers punters with massive odds, and there could be an upset in the making.

The gelding returned from a spell in the Benchmark 74 over 1000m at Queanbeyan on September 8, finishing seventh of 10 and beaten 2.7 lengths by Dawn On Me. He carried 64.5kg that day and was unable to produce a strong finish after settling midfield.

He improved considerably in the Federal Quality over 1000m at Canberra on September 18. Carrying just 55kg, he finished second to Keikoku, beaten by only 0.1 lengths after making ground in the closing stages. That effort showed he could be competitive when given a more suitable weight and a chance to finish off his race.

Punters get value odds with our The Kosciuszko SRM, which includes our three selected runners.

We have Chidiac Top 3, Gallant Star Top 5, and My Last Horray Top 5, which pays $55.00 for our three-runner SRM.

It’s a race where upsets can happen, so we’re taking our three runners to come through for punters at big odds, and it could be something to celebrate.