From the race’s inauguration in 1973 to 2026 below we have a list of past Black Opal Stakes winners of the Group 3 Canberra race that serves as a lead-up into Sydney’s $5 million Golden Slipper Stakes.
View additional details of the Black Opal Stakes winners from 2000 – the present including the winning jockeys, trainers and times while a complete list of past Black Opal winning two-year-olds can be found further down the page.
Catbird (1999) is the only Black Opal Stakes winner to date to go on and win the famous Golden Slipper race.
The 2022 Black Opal Stakes winner Queen Of The Ball saluted as the $2.80 favourite to win her way into the Golden Slipper field for Richard & Michael Freedman.
The Black Opal Stakes 2023 winner Autumn Ballet ($4.40) from the Waterhouse/Bott stable became the latest filly to take out the Canberra Group 3 and made history as the race’s first ever debutant winner.
The 2024 Black Opal Stakes winner is was the Peter & Paul Snowden-trained Holmes A Court ($7) who improved on a Group 3 Blue Diamond Prelude third placing to dominate the Canberra event with a 1.45 length victory.
The 2025 Black Opal Stakes winner was the Gerald Ryan & Sterling Alexiou’s well-bred Farnan colt King Of Pop ($3.90) who made it two-from-two to remain undefeated following a narrow but convincing win after wearing down another son of Farnan, Farcited, to salute ahead of a likely Golden Slipper bid.
The 2026 Black Opal Stakes winner was the locally-trained Preview winning two-year-old All Too Hard gelding Music Time at $4 for trainer Graz Vella with jockey Pierre Boudvillain aboard on 56kg from barrier 12 to salute by 1.72 lengths on a Soft (7) track in a time of 1:10.71.
Black Opal Stakes Winners 2000 – the Present
| Year | Horse – Age/Gender | Jockey | Weight (kgs) | Trainer/s | Barrier |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MUSIC TIME (AUS) 2G | PIERRE BOUDVILLAIN | 56.0 | GRATZ VELLA | 12 | |
| KING OF POP (AUS) 2C | ZAC LLOYD | 56.0 | GERALD RYAN & STERLING ALEXIOU | 4 | |
| HOLMES A COURT (AUS) 2C | TOMMY BERY | 56.0 | PETER & PAUL SNOWDEN | 5 | |
| AUTUMN BALLET (AUS) 2F | TIM CLARK | 54.0 | GAI WATERHOUSE & ADRIAN BOTT | 4 | |
| QUEEN OF THE BALL (AUS) 2F | RACHEL KING | 55.0 | R & M FREEDMAN | 12 | |
| KALASHNIKOV (AUS) 2C | JAMES MCDONALD | 56.0 | P & P SNOWDEN | 2 | |
| BARBARIC (AUS) 2C | K MCEVOY | 56.0 | P & P SNOWDEN | 3 | |
| PIN SEC (AUS) 2F | JASON COLLETT | 54.0 | JAMES CUMMINGS | 1 | |
| ENCRYPTION (AUS) 2C | G SCHOFIELD | 56.0 | JAMES CUMMINGS | 2 | |
| TRAPEZE ARTIST (AUS) 2C | TIM CLARK | 56.0 | GERALD RYAN | 10 | |
| DEFCON (AUS) 2C | B SHINN | 56.0 | P & P SNOWDEN | 8 | |
| TAKEDOWN (AUS) 2G | J FORD | 56.0 | GARY MOORE | 6 | |
| LUCKY RAQUIE (AUS) 2F | G SCHOFIELD | 54.0 | GERALD RYAN | 10 | |
| CRITERION (NZ) 2C | G SCHOFIELD | 56.0 | DAVID PAYNE | 13 | |
| EPAULETTE (AUS) 2C | K MCEVOY | 56.0 | PETER SNOWDEN | 7 | |
| YOU’RE CANNY (AUS) 2G | R BENSLEY | 56.0 | GRATZ VELLA | 9 | |
| DECISION TIME (AUS) 2G | N RAWILLER | 56.0 | CLARRY CONNERS | 4 | |
| DELAGO BOLT (AUS) 2G | C MUNCE | 56.0 | GARY PORTELLI | 11 | |
| SARTHEMARE (AUS) 2F | T ANGLAND | 54.0 | NEVILLE LAYT | 7 | |
| DOWN THE WICKET (AUS) 2G | L BEASLEY | 56.0 | GARY PORTELLI | 3 | |
| AL SAMER (AUS) 2C | HUGH BOWMAN | 56.0 | T R MARTIN | 1 | |
| UBER (AUS) 2G | S POLLARD | 56.0 | DAVID PAYNE | 4 | |
| HANDSOME RANSOM (AUS) 2C | C W BROWN | 56.0 | PAUL SUTHERLAND | 1 | |
| PLANCHET (AUS) 2C | D BEADMAN | 56.0 | JOHN HAWKES | 7 | |
| CORAL SALUTE (NZ) 2G | J CASSIDY | 55.0 | GARY PORTELLI | 3 | |
| PEMBLETON (AUS) 2G | L V CASSIDY | 55.0 | JOHN MORRISEY | 3 |
Complete List of Past Black Opal Stakes Winners
| Year | Winner |
|---|---|
| 2026 | Music Time |
| 2025 | King Of Pop |
| 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 |