THE second-cheapest frog won the annual Noonamah Frog Races on the outskirts of Darwin.
Jumpin' Maggot was bought for a paltry $800 by the six-strong Obes Concreting syndicate at the high-octane frog auction.
Syndicate spokesman Chris "Obey" O'Brien was almost speechless after the frog's win but said he and his mates were in for a long night with their $8433 prize.
The highest-selling frog was Frog Stomp - selling for $1310 to a man named Henry, who bought six fillies.
Two of his mounts finished second and third, winning him $5500 - almost as much as he spent in the stables.
Almost $3000 was raised from the event, with half going to Variety NT and the rest to non-profit groups.
Ruralites are kept on the hop in the lead-up to the big day, catching all 24 frogs for a princely reward of one schooner for each captor over the age of 18.
Bartender Katie Weldon said there was a special kind of breeding. "They come from all sorts of public toilets," she said.
"All the kids from Noonamah and Livingston are on the lookout."
Organiser Russell Finck said sourcing the frogs was tricky this year, blaming the dry conditions: "They've been hiding somewhere."
Read more on NT News.
