The annual Australia Day race meeting at Fannie Bay Racecourse has become a casualty of the Top End's wild weather.

With a severe weather warning in place for the Territory capital, Darwin Turf Club elected to transfer today's scheduled six-race program to Saturday.

It is the first Bay meeting in four years to be rescheduled after the threat of Cyclone Helen saw a meeting moved from Saturday to Monday in January 2008.

DTC chief executive Philip Neck told the NT News last night the decision had not been made lightly and came after exhaustive consultation with Thoroughbred Racing NT management, stewards and the Bureau of Meteorology.

"One of the key considerations was to make an early decision rather than be forced into abandoning the meeting at the last minute," Neck said.

"By making our decision today it will be far easier for the industry participants and patrons to organise themselves, and also make the necessary arrangements they require to attend Saturday's meeting.

"The forecast is for winds in excess of 35km/h today, but more importantly the forecast for Saturday indicates the wind will have abated substantially and the possibility for heavy rain will also have diminished."

Neck revealed the club would provide free admission on Saturday and the structure of the meeting remains the same, with no alterations to the fields.

More than $80,000 in prizemoney is on offer for the meeting, highlighted by the premier race, the $16,000 Palm Photographics Special Conditions Handicap (1100m).

The only change is to the race times to fit in with what is already busy schedule.

"We've arranged new times with Sky Channel, with the first race being run at 3.12pm and the last jumping at 6.22pm," Neck said.

The Darwin meeting will be broadcast on Sky Racing 2.

Story courtesy of Gregor Mactaggart, NT News