Saturday, 25 July 2026
The 2026 TAB Territory Punter of the Year once again delivered an outstanding day of punting on TAB Metric Mile Day. Twenty-seven syndicates comprising 155 punters battled it out for a share of $13,000 in prizemoney and the coveted title of the Territory’s best punters. With an increased starting betting bank of $1,250 and the return of the Metric Mile $5,000 Challenge, the stage was set for another fiercely contested competition at Darwin Turf Club.
Race 1 produced the first upset of the day as the Dick Leech-trained Envenomate ($19.30) proved too strong following a brilliant ride from Jade Hampson. Calky’s Crew struck first, landing a boxed trifecta worth 83% of the $429 dividend. Jarvo Red Rattlers also enjoyed a profitable start, collecting 50% of the trifecta dividend, a $193 win return and 9% of the first four dividend, worth $72. Well-backed runners Miami Baby and Press Down proved costly for many punters.
Race 2 delivered a Dick Leech and Jade Hampson race-to-race double as Texture ($6.50) defeated favourite Yule Point, with Voronya finishing third. Kimboss made the biggest move up the leaderboard, collecting 2,500% of the quinella dividend ($7.40), 416% of the trifecta dividend ($96.70) and a $50 win bet on Texture, returning a total of $912. Jarvo Red Rattlers, Hi Vis Racing and Cannonball all landed $100 win bets on Texture, while Euston Bandits collected 1,250% of the exacta dividend, which paid $18.90. Bankers Hero also enjoyed a profitable race, collecting 300% of the trifecta dividend, 133% of the first four dividend ($711.50) and a $20 win bet on Texture. Calky’s Crew continued its promising start with a $70 win bet, while BOOPTS PC & Stable secured 2,333% of the quinella dividend, returning $170. NT Tyre Service also found success, collecting 200% of the trifecta dividend.
Race 3 shaped as one of the toughest contests of the day, with a capacity field of maidens lining up. A favourite was overdue, and the Gary Clarke-trained Pafitis ($2.25) justified his market support. Despite the favourite saluting, there were few significant moves on the leaderboard. Bankers Hero collected with a $150 win bet on Pafitis, while NT Tyre Service landed 200% of the trifecta dividend, returning $530 from the $265 payout.
Race 4 featured one of the strongest fields of the day, with several leading contenders for the bet365 Palmerston Sprint lining up, including Shirshov, Anson Bay and eventual winner Zourata ($3.60). Calky’s Crew made a bold play and was rewarded with a $300 win bet on Zourata. Buff Club Punters and Let It Ride each landed $150 win bets, Bankers Hero collected with a $120 win bet, and Cannonball added a $100 win bet. Despite Zourata’s victory, Shirshov proved costly for the majority of the field, with an estimated one-third of teams backing the well-supported galloper. We also witnessed our first bust with Whose Got Em placing ill-fated bets on Shirshov and Anson Bay.
Race 5 brought the smallest field of the day, with just four runners going around. That didn’t stop one optimistic syndicate from taking on the boxed first four! The Tommy Logan-trained Jumping Power Two got the job done, defeating outsider Throw at the Stumps, with favourite Luna Field settling for third ahead of Kissing Supido. Jarvo Red Rattlers were the biggest winners from the race, landing a $300 win bet on Jumping Power Two. Moo Manor Racing also collected with a $200 win bet, while Buff Club Punters and Huddy’s Donuts each added $150 to their bankrolls with winning bets.
Race 6 set the stage for a thrilling finish, with just two races remaining and the vast majority of teams still holding enough bankroll to mount a serious challenge for the title. The Gary Clarke-trained Fury justified favouritism, saluting at $2.30. Tips Go Bang enjoyed one of the best results of the race, nailing the win, quinella and exacta, while Me Mum and the Missus collected with a $100 win bet. There were plenty of smaller win bets and exotics finding the mark, but the standout play belonged to Calky’s Crew, who landed a massive 10,000% of the $3.80 quinella dividend from a $200 investment, keeping themselves firmly in the hunt heading into the final race.
The stage was set for one final showdown, with the 2026 TAB Territory Punter of the Year to be decided in Race 7 (TAB Metric Mile). Reigning two-time Darwin Cup winner Wolfburn was sent out the narrow $4.80 favourite in an open market ahead of Rematch ($4.90) and The Girl’s Boy ($6.50). With the tempo genuine throughout, the race was perfectly set up for a swooper, and that’s exactly how it unfolded. 2022 NT Derby winner and 2024 Alice Springs Cup victor Venting unleashed a big finish down the outside to score at a lucrative $23.
The final race saw syndicates throw everything at the competition. Wolfburn attracted the biggest support, with a combined $693 in win bets, while Magic Defense ($970 and $300), Rematch ($450, $400 and $460), Stormfront ($400, $400, $400 and $300), Komachi ($500, $400 and $380) and Cotehele ($400) were all heavily backed.
In the end, the title came down to one final winning ticket. Hi Vis Racing landed a decisive $150 win bet on Venting to edge out Calky’s Crew, who also found the winner with a $100 win bet. After seven races and a full day of calculated risks, betting and a little bit of luck, Hi Vis Racing emerged as the 2026 TAB Territory Punter of the Year. Congratulations to team capatin Justn Coleman and the whole team!
A sincere thank you to TAB for its continued and generous support of the TAB Territory Punter of the Year, and to the Darwin Turf Club for once again hosting another outstanding edition of the competition. Special thanks to MC Shane Green, who raised the bar by calling the opening two races live! We also acknowledge our dedicated Darwin Turf Club staff, TAB operators and everyone who entered a syndicate. Congratulations once again to all of our winners, thank you for being part of another fantastic TAB Territory Punter of the Year, and we’ll see you next year!
Final leaderboard:
1st: $3,555 – HI VIS RACING
2nd: $3,570 – CALKY’S CREW
3rd: $2,370 – RASTAMOUSE
4th: $1,450 – JARVO RED RATTLERS
5th: $1,433 – BANKERS HEROS
6th: $934 – MOO MANOR RACING
7th: $900 – BOOPTS PC & STABLE
8th: $720 – BUFF CLUB PUNTERS
9th: $614 – NOT BROKE FURLONG
10th: $532 – KIMBOSS
11th: $343 – CARLTON DISCO
12th: $1 – TIPS GO BANG
All other teams finished on $0