The road to the Golden Slipper continues in the nation’s capital on Sunday when a smart field of two-year-olds assemble for the time-honoured Group 3 Black Opal Stakes.
Won by the likes of Epaulette, Criterion, Takedown and Trapeze Artist, the Black Opal Stakes plays a vital role in the season, and plenty of exciting prospects will look to join the list of champions this year.
You can find my complete 2023 Black Opal Stakes Tips, along with a preview of every race on the program below!
I’m with Impending Harmony in the first on Black Opal Stakes Day.
Impending Harmony made only one appearance at the races during her debut prep, racing greenly, but ultimately showing some promising signs and finishing fourth at Wagga.
With improvement for that experience and her time away from the races, I think this looks a nice launchpad.
Lonrioli will resume in Race 2 at Canberra on Sunday, and she too looks well placed to strike fresh.
The Richard & Will Freedman-trained filly showed ability during her debut prep, breaking her maiden impressively before stepping out in black type company, albeit a failed tilt.
A recent trial was eye-catching, and she does look to have a lot of these rivals covered for class.
Gravy Train Magpie takes winning form into the third at Canberra on Sunday and looks well placed to make it two in a row.
The Bullet Train mare continued to build to the task when resuming this time, culminating in her performance and win in Class 1 company at Wagga last time out.
This is a little harder, but the mile certainly looks to be her go, and I like that Jeff Penza stays in the saddle.
Jumeirah Beach can bounce back on Black Opal Stakes Day.
Jumeirah Beach recorded consecutive wins to end his last preparation, finding form in races not dissimilar to this one, but he finished down the order in BM66 company first-up.
He is a horse that tends to enjoy sharp improvement with a run or two under his belt, and under Tim Clark today, I think that this shapes as a great race for him.
Ruban Bleu has a fitness edge over several key rivals in the fifth at Canberra on Sunday, and I think that he can win.
The veteran galloper has returned to the races in typically competitive form this time, winning here at Canberra back in December, while only just missing in BM85 company last time out.
He’s drawn ideally under Penza and does look up to something of this quality.
Distillate is the one that I want to be with in this contest.
The Dissident mare won a couple of nice races last time in, including a BM72 sprint at Canterbury, and she went to the paddock after a decent effort in Saturday metro company.
Having returned to win at Randwick-Kensington last month, I’m only expecting her to improve into this race, and she is my best bet on the program.
The first bit of black type of the day looks an absolute ripper, and some seriously talented gallopers will step out in this year’s National Sprint.
I have been a fan of Superium for a while now, and while he has been the bane of our existence several times, I really do think that this looks a perfect race for him.
Superium finally returned to winning form in the December Handicap at Randwick late last year, and while he finished down the order in the Magic Millions Cup, I thought he was pretty good behind Zeyrek in BM97 company two back.
He steps out this week in peak order, this is a drop in class and we can have an each way play at his current price ($9 at publish).
Good horses have come out and won the Black Opal Stakes since the turn of the century, and I think that The Years will join the list on Sunday.
The Years has made just two appearances at the races so far, finishing fourth on debut at Canterbury last month before utterly blowing away a field of maidens at Kembla Grange last time.
This is obviously harder, but he harbours plenty of improvement, and the grade certainly doesn’t look beyond him.
This certainly isn’t the easiest way to end the day from a betting perspective, but I will have something on Picko Rock.
Picko Rocks is a four-start maiden, but he has been competitive in each of his four competitive appearances, and he has found form around some good horses.
The 2000m does look ideal, he gets into the race well under the conditions and he looks ready to strike!