IN SHORT

• The 61st annual Broken Hill St Patrick's Races, featuring the Outback Cup, are set for Saturday March 28, 2026 at the Broken Hill Regional Events Centre.
• The event is the biggest day on the Far West racing calendar, drawing crowds of more than 4,000 with over $100,000 in prizemoney across eight races.
• Race day is the centrepiece of a week-long celebration that also includes Friday night harness racing, greyhound racing, and a recovery day at Silverton's iconic pub on the Sunday.

One of outback New South Wales' most beloved annual traditions returns on Saturday March 28, when the Broken Hill St Patrick's Race Club hosts the 61st running of the Outback Cup at the Broken Hill Regional Events Centre.

The St Pat's Races are widely regarded as the premier race meeting in outback NSW, and for good reason. What began in 1965 as a modest initiative by local trainer John Toms to boost racing and support the finances of Broken Hill's Catholic schools has grown into a full-scale community event that draws more than 4,000 people from across the region and well beyond. The club now boasts the largest membership of any country race club in New South Wales, a point of pride for the Far West community that has sustained and celebrated the event across six decades.

This year's meeting marks the 61st running of the Outback Cup, with an eight-race program and more than $100,000 in prizemoney on offer. Alongside the racing, the day features Fashions on the Field, TAB facilities, gourmet food and a range of entertainment options. Patrons can choose from reserved picnic sites through to fully catered air-conditioned marquees, catering for everyone from families making a day of it to serious racing enthusiasts.

Race day is the headline act in a broader week-long calendar of events that gives visitors from places like Hay, Balranald, Griffith and across the Central Darling ample reason to make a long weekend of it. Harness racing runs on the Friday night, followed by greyhound racing before the main thoroughbred meeting on the Saturday. For those who find themselves in good spirits after the Outback Cup, the Sunday recovery day at Silverton's historic pub has long been a celebrated part of the St Pat's tradition — and this year it carries an extra layer of interest, with new operators Liz and Norm hosting the event for the first time following the recent departure of long-time publicans Peter and Patsy Price.

Public buses run to and from the Broken Hill Regional Events Centre throughout race day, operating continuously from 11am. The fare is $5 per person one way, with tickets available for pre-purchase or by carrying the correct cash on the day.

Tickets for the 2026 Outback Cup are available through 123tix. With accommodation in Broken Hill known to fill quickly around major events, visitors travelling from across the region are advised to book early.

For a community stretching from the Riverina to the Far West, St Pat's Day in Broken Hill is as much a social occasion as a sporting one. It is the kind of event that draws people who have been coming for 20 years alongside first-timers making the drive out from further east, united by the particular appeal of a big day's racing in the red dust of outback NSW.