Looking for this year’s Black Opal Stakes betting odds, field and tips? The experts at Neds have put together everything you need to know before this year’s race.

Black Opal Stakes, Canberra Racecourse

Run over 1,200 metres every March in Canberra, the Black Opal Stakes is a Group 3 race for two-year-olds offering $250,000 and serving as a potential lead-up into the Group 1 $4.92 million Golden Slipper Stakes (1200m).

To date Catbird (1999) is the only two-year-old to complete the Black Opal Stakes – Golden Slipper Stakes double

Black Opal Stakes 2024 – Quick Information

  • Race Day: Sunday, March 10th, 2024
  • Track Location: Canberra Racecourse
  • Track Surface: Turf
  • Track Direction: Right-handed
  • Race Distance: 1,200 metres
  • Weight Conditions: Set weights (with penalties)
  • Qualification: Two year olds
  • Type: Thoroughbred
  • Grade: Group 3
  • Operator: Canberra Racing Club
  • Prize Purse: $250,000
  • Inaugural Race: 1973
  • 2024 Black Opal Stakes Winner: Holmes A Court

black opal Stakes 2024 RESULTS

The official 2024 Black Opal Stakes results will be available below once the race takes place on Sunday the 10th of March, 2024. 

  1. #5 Holmes A Court
  2. #1 Fully Lit
  3. #3 Amazing Eagle

Team Snowden’s progressive colt Holmes A Court ($7) put the writing on the wall for a big autumn ahead putting 1.45 lengths on the beaten favourite Fully Lit ($1.45F) in a dominant Black Opal Stakes 2024 victory in Canberra to break his maiden status at his third career start.

Black Opal Stakes Betting 2024

New Ways to Bet at neds

There are many different ways to bet on the Black Opal Stakes, and we have included some of the most popular options below:

Bet Type How To Place This Type Of Bet In This Year’s Black Opal Stakes
Win Bet Place your bet on the horse you think will take first place in this year’s Black Opal Stakes.
Place Bet Place your bet on the horse you think will place in the top three finishers at this year’s Black Opal Stakes. Pays less than a win bet, but offers safer odds.
Each-Way Bet If your runner finishes 1st in the Black Opal Stakes, you will collect both the Win and the Place dividend. If your horse finishes 2nd or 3rd you will collect the Place dividend.
Quinella Bet You must select the runners that finish 1st and 2nd in any order, within the Black Opal Stakes, in order to win the Quinella.
Exacta Bet You must select the runners that finish 1st and 2nd in the correct order, within the Black Opal Stakes to win the Exacta.
Trifecta Bet You must select runners to finish 1st, 2nd and 3rd in the correct order, within the Black Opal Stakes to win the Trifecta.
First Four You must select runners that finish 1st, 2nd ,3rd and 4th in the correct order, within the Black Opal Stakes to win the First 4.
Quadrella Bet (Quaddie) You must select the winners of four nominated races to win the Quaddie. This means you would have to select three other races apart from the Black Opal Stakes, in order to be eligible to place a Quaddie.

How To Bet On The Black Opal Stakes in 2024

  1. Login at neds.com.au
  2. Make sure to check out form guide, once it’s released
  3. Decide what kind of bet you’re going to place (Win, Place, Each-Way, Trifecta + more betting options, please read our section on Black Opal Stakes Betting above).
  4. Select the horse(s) for the race.

Black Opal Stakes 2025 Odds

Early market betting odds on the 2025 Black Opal Stakes will be displayed below once available. Odds are subject to fluctuation. For current odds on all of our live markets, please visit neds.com.au.

BET NOW
Timezone: all times are in Australian Eastern Standard Time

Which Horse Will Win The Black Opal Stakes in 2024

The best way to pick which horse will win the Black Opal Stakes in 2024 is to take into account their lead-up autumn form, assess the barriers, consider the weight the horse will carry and look at the interstate stables. 

  • Past Sydney Winner – Juveniles with previous winning form at Sydney’s major tracks Rosehill and Randwick make a good bet in the Black Opal Stakes.
  • Snowden Factor – Trainer Peter Snowden has a good record in the Black Opal Stakes with five recent victories most recently Kalashnikov (2021) and Holmes A Court (2024) in partnership with his son Paul.

Black Opal Stakes Favourites 2024

Early favourites in Black Opal Stakes 2024 betting include Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott’s Inglis Millennium winning colt Fully Lit, Group 3 placed Capitalist colt Holmes A Court from the Snowden stable, and runner-up in the Opal Preview last time out Amazing Eagle

Queen Of The Ball ($2.80 in 2022) was the last Black Opal Stakes favourite to win.

Black Opal Stakes 2024 Field

The official 2024 Black Opal Stakes field of final acceptances is announced the Wednesday leading-up to the event and will be published in full below. 

Black Opal Stakes 2024 tips

Favourite: #1 Fully Lit ($1.45 at time of publish) – BET NOW

Best Bet: #1 Fully Lit to salute for the punters (see above) – BET NOW

Best Roughie: #8 Vella’s Best ($31 at time of publish) – BET NOW

Our insider 2024 Black Opal Stakes tips will be detailed above the week of the race and a full betting preview published on the Neds Blog.

CLICK HERE FOR OUR COMPLETE 2024 BLACK OPAL STAKES DAY PREVIEW & TIPS

Black Opal Stakes Race Day 2024

2024 Black Opal Stakes race day takes place on Sunday, the 10th of March, 2024 and also features a trio of Listed races headlined by the Canberra Cup. 

Black Opal Stakes Barrier Draw 2024

The 2024 Black Opal Stakes barrier draw will be released to the public a few days before the race and published in our above Black Opal Stakes Field section. 

Black Opal Stakes Nominations 2024

2024 Black Opal Stakes nominations close at 11 AM on Monday the 4th of March, 2024. 

Black Opal Stakes Weights 2024

Set weights plus penalties apply to this race. The base weight for colts and geldings is is 56 kilograms. The base weight for fillies is is 54 kilograms. Final weights are announced at 4 PM on Tuesday the 5th of March, 2024 with the official 2024 Black Opal Stakes weights on the final acceptors to be published in our above Black Opal Stakes Field section. 

2024 Black Opal Stakes Top-Weights:

  • #1 Fully Lit (58kg)
  • #2 Odinson (58kg)

Black Opal Stakes Acceptances 2024

2024 Black Opal Stakes final acceptances must be declared before 9 AM on Wednesday the 6th of March, 2024 and will be published in our above Black Opal Stakes Field section. 

Black Opal Stakes Jockeys 2024

The final riders announcement is at 12 PM on Wednesday the 6th of March, 2024 with the official 2024 Black Opal Stakes jockeys to be published in our above Black Opal Stakes Field section. 

Black Opal Stakes Scratchings 2024

2024 Black Opal Stakes scratchings close at 7:30 AM on Sunday the 10th of March, 2024. 

Black Opal Stakes Prize Money 2024

The 2024 Black Opal Stakes prize purse is worth $250,000 in total, distributed from places first through to eighth plus $2,500 going to the Equine Welfare Fund

Place Prize Money
1st $150,000
2nd $50,000
3rd $21,875
4th $9,375
5th $6,250
6th $3,750
7th $3,125
8th $3,125

Black Opal Stakes Race Number 2024

The 2024 Black Opal Stakes race number is scheduled as Canberra Race 7 at 4:16pm (AEDT) on Sunday the 10th of March, 2024. There are ten races in total that day at Canberra Racecourse.

Black Opal Stakes Form Guide 2024

The final form guide will be available the week of the race. You can check below for a link to our full 2024 Black Opal Stakes Form Guide following final acceptances. 

CLICK HERE FOR OUR FULL 2024 BLACK OPAL STAKES FORM GUIDE

Black Opal Stakes Live 2024

You can watch or listen to the 2024 Black Opal Stakes live, across the following mediums.

Pay television: Sky Racing 1 (channel 526 on Foxtel)

Radio: Radio Sport National

Streaming: Racing NSW

Black Opal Stakes Winners

Winners of the Black Opal Stakes going back to 1973 are displayed in the table below. To view more details on the past Black Opal Stakes winners and place-getters throughout history click here

Year Winner
2024 Holmes A Court
2023 Autumn Ballet
2022 Queen Of The Ball
2021 Kalashnikov
2020 Barbaric
2019 Pin Sec
2018 Encryption
2017 Trapeze Artist
2016 Defcon
2015 Takedown
2014 Lucky Raquie
2013 Criterion
2012 Epaulette
2011 You’re Canny
2010 Decision Time
2009 Delago Bolt
2008 Sarthemare
2007 (Race Not Held)
2006 Down The Wicket
2005 Al Samer
2004 Uber
2003 Handsome Ransom
2002 Planchet
2001 Coral Salute
2000 Pembleton
1999 Catbird
1998 Speed Week
1997 Fraud
1996 Paint
1995 Zadok
1994 St. Covet
1993 Danger
1992 Clan O’Sullivan
1991 Sormani
1990 Unspoken Word
1989 Marks Gain
1988 Comely Girl
1987 Maizcay
1986 Just Blooming
1985 New Atlantis
1984 Spirit Of Kingston
1983 Brummel Who
1982 Beans
1981 Chinese Treasure
1980 Nasau
1979 Star Grace
1978 Gold Mosaic
1977 Blazing Saddles
1976 Bianca
1975 Silver Shadow
1974 Royal Brittania
1973 Rich Reward