Grant Dewsbury

Darwin Turf Club is famous for the running of the annual Darwin Cup, held on the first Monday in August. The track has a total circumference of 1780m, and a home straight length of 340m. It's unique to other Australian tracks as it is made from oil mixed with sand, as opposed to the traditional turf overlay. The 1988 bicentennial Darwin Cup was the first $100,000 race staged in the Northern Territory, an amazing turnaround for the Club virtually decimated by Cyclone Tracy 15 years before. Since the turn of the century, the Darwin Cup has become the biggest sporting event in the Northern Territory with over 20,000 people attending every year on Day 8. The picturesque racecourse in Fannie Bay is the venue which sees several illustrious racing names vie for over $1.95m in prize money and trophies over the month-long event. Standing alongside visitors will be thousands of locals who will proudly showcase the Territory with their unique style and world-famous hospitality, that can only be experienced in the Top End.