Darwin Turf Club
The Darwin Turf Club was formed with a fanfare of trumpets in May 1955. The stage was all set then for the running of the first Darwin Cup on Saturday October 20 1956.
Record post war stake money of $470 had been allocated by the Club for the six races. A field of four vied for the Cup worth $260 plus a trophy valued at $42. Because of the unfinished state of the track the Cup was run over 1200m.
The first Darwin Cup winner at Fannie Bay was Satan’s Son, owned, trained and ridden by Peter McCracken.
Since the turn of the Century the Darwin Cup has become the biggest sporting event in the Northern Territory with over 15,000 people attending every year. As one of only a few dirt tracks in operation on the provincial circuit, the picturesque Fannie Bay Racecourse is the venue for which sees several illustrious racing names vie for over 1.3 million dollars in prize money and trophies over the month long event.
Contact:
DARWIN TURF CLUB
GPO BOX 589,
Darwin NT 0801
Ph: 8923 4222
Fax: 8923 4233
Email: dtc@darwinturfclub.org.au
Darwin Cup, run at the Fannie Bay Racecourse. Winners and past results of the Darwin Cup