| Class | Group 3 |
|---|---|
| Location | Canberra Racecourse, Canberra, Australia |
| Inaugurated | 1973 |
| Race type | Thoroughbred - flat |
| Sponsor | John McGrath Auto Group (2023) |
| Race information | |
| Distance | 1,200 metres |
| Surface | Turf |
| Track | Right-handed |
| Qualification | Two year old |
| Weight | Set weights with penalties |
| Purse | A$200,000 (2023) |
The Black Opal Stakes is a Canberra Racing Club Group 3 Thoroughbred horse race, for two-year-olds, at set weights, over a distance of 1200 metres, held annually at Canberra Racecourse in Canberra, Australia in March. [1] Total prize money for the race is A$200,000.
Brian Connell, while on a prospecting holiday found a chip of opal and thought, 'black opal', what a great name for a race. He raised the idea for the establishment of Canberra's premier race to the committee of the Canberra Racing Club, on June 5, 1972, and Connell moved that the club conduct a classic event for two-year-olds in the 1973-74 season. The groundwork for the start of the race was made with a sub-committee comprising Connell, vice-president Geoff Small and Jim O'Sullivan. [2]
Catbird (1999) is the only two-year-old to have taken out the Black Opal Stakes & Golden Slipper Stakes double since its inception. [1]
Race record is held by St Covet in 1994 with the time of 1.09.6. [3]
† Canberra's racetrack, Thoroughbred Park was under redevelopment. [44]