Black Caviar Lightning Stakes Tips, Betting, Odds, Horses & More 2025

The Black Caviar Lightning Stakes is one of the biggest feature sprint races on the Australian horse racing calendar each year. The Black Caviar Lightning Stakes will take place in 2025 on the 15th of February and is one of the most important Group One races on the calendar. 

The Group 1 race held at Flemington Racecourse, Victoria used to go by the shorter name of the Lightning Stakes before being renamed in 2013 to honour the undefeated, three-time winner, and all-time great, Black Caviar. Flemington Racecourse is one of the top tracks in the country.

You need not go further than a list of previous winners to appreciate the star-studded fields the Black Caviar Lightning Stakes draws. Scroll down below to see our list of the previous winners of the Black Caviar Lightning Stakes up until 2010.

The prize money for this weight-for-age stunner is currently sitting at $1 million. The Black Caviar Lightning Stakes has been maintained at the 1000m distance since its inception in 1955. Be sure to tune in on February 15, 2025, to not miss out on one of the best and most entertaining sprint races showcased on the Australian horse racing calendar. 

OnlyRacing’s Black Caviar Lightning Stakes page will show you how and where to bet on the race. We will also get into the race and track history, as well as previous winners of the Black Caviar Lightning Stakes.

Be sure to visit OnlyRacing.com.au closer to the meet on February 15 to see our most up-to-date tips and analysis of the runners in the Black Caviar Lightning Stakes field. These tips will include best bets, exotics and multi-picks to satisfy your punting needs. So, don’t forget to check back as the race draws nearer so you can gain expert opinions on the outcome of the Black Caviar Lightning Stakes.

We all love money, right? So, below is a breakdown of the prize money given out for the Black Caviar Lightning Stakes:

Here at OnlyRacing, we take our horse racing tips very seriously! We’re here to provide our readers with the best free horse racing tips, which means winners, winners and more winners. Each year for the Black Caviar Lightning Stakes, our experts put in the hard yards and provide their tips on the race. At this stage, our tips aren’t available for the 2025 race but there is still good news because you can check out our tips for the race in 2024 below.

Judge our expert accordingly, as you can use the benefit of hindsight, knowing the results of the race to see if you want to use OnlyRacing in the future! But we already know the answer, so come back again closer to the race in 2025 to see what our experts think about the 2025 race!

Check out our Black Caviar Lightning Stakes tips for the race in 2024 below:

For the Black Caviar Lightning Stakes in 2024, there is a small field of just eight runners. Small fields always present a unique challenge when it comes to picking a winner, but I have done my best! 

The quality of this small field is excellent and I can see several different runners having a good race. I’ve put together three tips for this race (which is almost half the field!), so let’s see who I think will perform well in 2024.

Black Caviar Lightning Stakes Best Bet - Imperatriz

The Mark Walker-trained Imperatriz is the heavy favourite for the Black Caviar Lightning Stakes. Currently priced at $1.85, she is getting on the short side for me, but when it comes to the best horse in the race, it is Imperatriz. The stable love where she is at right now and usual jockey Opie Bosson should be able to get the best out of her, especially from barrier 2.

Black Caviar Lightning Stakes Next Best - Private Eye

Private Eye certainly cannot be discounted for the Black Caviar Lightning Stakes. While he hasn’t had much luck in Flemington, I think he is the one who could turn the tables on Imperatriz. He performs well during Spring and I’m hopeful he can bring that kind of level in Autumn as well. His first-up record is solid and I’d be surprised if he isn’t right in the mix come the closing stages of the race.

Black Caviar Lightning Stakes Best Roughie - Bella Nipotina

Not exactly juicy roughie odds here with Bella Nipotina, who is currently listed at $7.00, but in a small value it’s a little tricky to nail down a roughie at massive odds. Bella Nipotina won the Giga Kick Stakes last year, being Private Eye by the smallest of small margins. Her record here at Flemington leaves me a little worried as she hasn’t won here in eight attempts but has placed on four occasions. If she has luck on her side, she can certainly place.

We here at OnlyRacing recommend you bet on a wide range of markets on different betting apps, so you get the most out of not only the feature race in the Black Caviar Lightning Stakes but also the rest of the meet on Saturday the 15th of February 2025 at Flemington Racecourse, Victoria. 

Listed below are a few market suggestions to get on come race day:

• Quaddie at Flemington Racecourse.
• Quinella/ Trifecta/ First Four in the Black Caviar Lightning Stakes race.
• Fixed Win/ Place bets on your favourite runners in the Black Caviar Lightning Stakes and across the whole meet at Flemington Racecourse.
• Multi bet across multiple races at the Flemington Racecourse Black Caviar Lightning Stakes meet.
  

Now that you’ve got your betting options, the question remains - who should you bet with? It’s an age-old question! You’ve got so many horse racing betting sites to choose from, how could you possibly make a decision? Well, that’s where OnlyRacing comes in handy.

We’ve studied all the best Australian betting sites, and even provide comprehensive reviews on each of them (if you’re interested). After all our research, we’ve found it is a good idea to have multiple bookie accounts, because they all offer something a little bit different, and you don’t want to pass up on the potential of better odds or new betting sites bonuses!

To start with, we like PlayUp. They are one of the best betting apps and have got some truly unique promotions on offer, like getting an extra 15% winnings for being a horse owner. Other bookies are more in tune with the racing punter, while others have something for everyone. 

Volcanobet is another of our recommended bookies because it brings back the fun in punting. If you’re a punter who doesn’t take things too seriously, then you’ll love using Volcanobet. Be sure to look out for their betting promotions as well!

If competitive odds are something you are on the lookout for, then EliteBet is the bookie for you. They are known in the market for offering great odds, and as well as this, they have some of the best promotions going around (but you’ll have to sign up to see just how good they are!).

So, there are three of our top recommended bookies. If you’re looking for more recommendations on who to bet with on the Black Caviar Lightning Stakes, check out our “Betting Sites” section above!

The field for the 2025 Black Caviar Lightning Stakes is not yet available! While we wait for the field to be announced, if there are odds available, we will list them below in our “Odds” section. Checking out the odds will give you an indication of which runners bookmakers think will be targeting the Black Caviar Lightning Stakes.

Please keep in mind once again that the 2025 field is not confirmed for the Black Caviar Lightning Stakes, so the odds will likely change in the hours leading up to the big race. A lot of aspects can influence the odds, including large bets on specific runners.

So, let’s not waste any more time, check out the table we have put together below for all the details on the 2024 Black Caviar Lightning Stakes field:

No, the above table isn’t missing a few more rows, there were in fact only eight runners for the Black Caviar Lightning Stakes in 2024! There also weren’t any scratchings as was to be expected with such a small field.

Scratchings are very commonplace, even in key races like the Black Caviar Lightning Stakes. It can happen on the day of the race or even just minutes before the jump, and while it can be annoying if the horse you bet on ends up being scratched, rest easy knowing that you will get your cash back into your account.

Another key factor to look at within the final field is the barrier draw. The barrier each runner starts in can have a huge impact on how the race will pan out. Like with any race, certain barriers have seen more winners than others, and there are some barriers that both jockeys and trainers don’t want to see their horse draw.

If you’re going to be betting on the Black Caviar Lightning Stakes, you’ll need to know more about the stats and form guide that makes up this great race. As they say, “the stats don’t lie”! You need to have all the information, so you’re able to make the best decision possible.

Here at OnlyRacing, we’ve put together all the key form guide information you’ll need if you’re going to place a bet this year on the Black Caviar Lightning Stakes. Each race is different and this means there is a different form to look into. So, let’s take a look, shall we?

As we’ve seen in recent years, the Black Caviar Lightning Stakes attracts a small field, which is mostly due to the weight-for-age conditions of the race. Due to the small field, you’ll find that the barrier draw isn’t of as much significance, but it is still worth having a quick look at nonetheless. 

As the Black Caviar Lightning Stakes is a Group 1, you’ll find the field is stacked with high-quality sprinters. We’ve found that horses tackling this key race first up have had success. On the other hand, those runners who have already kicked off their campaign have usually run in the Group 2 Australia Stakes, the Group 2 Rubiton Stakes or the Listed Adams Stakes.

As this race attracts high-quality runners, you’ll find that most of the winners of this race have already previously won a Group 1, so keep a lookout for that. The race is a tough shootout due to the length of only 1,000m, so look for more mature horses that can handle the pressure.

While some punters simply like to back the favourite, in the Black Caviar Lightning Stakes, the strike rate of favourites hasn’t been too crash hot. On the flip side, double-digit runners should be avoided as well. Look for a runner that isn’t necessarily the favourite, but their odds aren't above $10 either. In 2024, race favourite, Imperatriz, won the race.

We see top horses competing in the Black Caviar Lightning Stakes, and this has been true for many decades now.  At OnlyRacing, we have emboldened four different winners from four different periods for vastly different reasons. 

The goal in mind? To provide you guys with some of the top horses that have ever competed (and won) the Black Caviar Lightning Stakes. Check out the four key horses from previous editions of the Black Caviar Lightning Stakes below:

Gay Vista - 1955

The first champion of the Black Caviar Lightning Stakes, then the Lightning Stakes, Gay Vista was a journeyman horse that raced in several different countries. He was always a spectacle on Australian soil though.

Gay Vista boasted an incredible 16 wins from 25 starts, one of which was the Black Caviar Lightning Stakes. Gay Vista moved to the USA a couple of years after gaining the Black Caviar Lightning Stakes honours, proving successful there too, winning five of eight runs.

Placid Ark - 1987

One name that might not stick out as much as the others on our list of notable winners at the Black Caviar Lightning Stakes is Placid Ark, the winner of the 1987 iteration of the Lightning Stakes. What makes Placid Ark so interesting is his price tag of merely $5,000. 

A great purchase this would prove to be as Placid Ark bestowed his trainers and stable with not only a win in the Black Caviar Lightning Stakes, but also the Canterbury Stakes, the Newmarket Handicap, the Winterbottom Stakes, and the Oakleigh Plate. Some returns for a $5,000 horse! Placid Ark finished with 14 wins from 21 starts, including three other placings.

Black Caviar - 2011-2013

I sincerely hope as a reader of OnlyRacing you are at least somewhat familiar with the name of one of the greatest race horses to ever live. Black Caviar not only won the Lightning Stakes in three successive years (2011-2013), but she is the reason the race was renamed. From 2013 onwards the 1000m sprint race at Flemington Racecourse was and is known as the Black Caviar Lightning Stakes.

There are many specific points in time to highlight for the unbeaten Black Caviar, however, a poignant time in the great horse’s career was after her third and final win at the Black Caviar Lightning Stakes. Following her victory, Black Caviar took out the William Reid Stakes and Randwick’s TJ Smith Stakes before the pin was pulled on her career.

Black Caviar is widely regarded around the world as one of the all-time greats, with an unbeaten record to boot. We may never see one like her again, but her legacy lives on as the name of Victoria’s feature sprint race, the Black Caviar Lightning Stakes.

Nature Strip - 2021

Nature Strip is a gun. No other way to put it. He was also the favourite going into the 2023 race and was paired with his usual jockey partner James McDonald (what a combo). A nice win at the Black Caviar Lightning Stakes for Nature Strip in 2021 ensured he would be favourite once more come the next couple of iterations of the Black Caviar Lightning Stakes. 

However, in 2022 the race did not go as planned. Despite this, Nature Strip came into the 2023 Black Caviar Lightning Stakes as the undeniable favourite. Once again, things didn’t work out for him, as his 2021 victory remains his only one.

Probably the most important piece of the puzzle: the odds! Long before the Black Caviar Lightning Stakes final field is announced in all its glory, all the top horse racing betting apps will open markets for the race.

The odds in horse racing markets will change dramatically as the days tick over closer to the big race. At this stage, our top bookie PlayUp, hasn’t released a betting market for the Black Caviar Lightning Stakes in 2025.

You’ll see significant fluctuations in the odds once they are released, as horses will be targeting different races. There is a chance that the horse you bet on doesn’t even end up running in the Black Caviar Lightning Stakes. If you bet on the race “Before Noms” you will get your bet back if your horse isn’t included in the final field.

We believe one of the best times to bet on the Black Caviar Lightning Stakes is “Before Noms” because you could pick up the eventual favourite (or a strong contender) for double-digit odds. Then, even if your horse isn’t in the final field, you still get your money back. If you are betting in the “All-In” market, be aware because you won’t get your bet back if your horse doesn’t run.

While the odds for the 2025 race aren’t available, we’ve left up the table of odds for the 2024 Black Caviar Lightning Stakes, just a couple of days before the race, for your reference:

*Odds correct as of 16/02/2024.

Time for a history lesson! The Black Caviar Lightning Stakes is no doubt one of the best races on the Group 1 calendar, but what has intrigued punters over the years is the enigma that is the Flemington Racecourse. When it comes to Group Ones during horse racing carnivals, the Black Caviar Lightning Stakes is steeped in history.

Now, as a Sydneysider born and bred in the great state of New South Wales, you grow up thinking about Royal Randwick as the premier Australian thoroughbred racetrack. As true as this still rings for me, many others would oppose this view and see Flemington Racecourse as the crown jewel nowadays.

Flemington Racecourse is not only the home of the Black Caviar Lightning Stakes (formerly known as the Lightning Stakes) but has been hosting races since the 1840s. The history of this great racecourse came to fruition when the Australian Parliament handed over legal control of the Flemington Racecourse site to the Victoria Racing Club back in 1871. 

Since then, the track has hosted some of the most notable events not just on the Australian racing calendar, but internationally. Whilst Flemington Racecourse hosts huge events such as the Australian Cup, the Newmarket Handicap, and the Victoria Derby, there is no race bigger than its most notable, the Melbourne Cup. Australia’s most prestigious race calls Flemington Racecourse its home. 

If you need some stats on how important Flemington Racecourse is, have a look below at a quick breakdown of the total Group 1-3 races held annually:

• Group 1 –13 races
• Group 2 – 9 races
• Group 3 – 14 races

The Black Caviar Lightning Stakes is just one of many races on the calendar. If you want to learn more about other key races, make sure you check out our Group One races list. We’ve got all the details you need!

As soon as the race has been run, punters who weren’t lucky enough to watch the race live will be frantically searching online for the results! Have you come out a winner, or will you be having 2-minute noodles for dinner tonight?

The 2024 Black Caviar Lightning Stakes was taken out by multiple Group 1 winner Imperatriz! As always, the race was run at a blistering pace, with Imperatriz crossing the finishing post in just 57.54 seconds.

Imperatriz just pipped second-placegetter Private Eye, but 0.2L. Then, it was 0.7L back to third with Espiona. As it was a small field and a sprint race, the entire field was separated by just 4.4L!

Check out the full Black Caviar Lightning Stakes results for the 2024 race below:

If you're more of a visual person, we've got your back here at OnlyRacing! Check out the full race replay of the 2024 edition of the Black Caviar Lightning Stakes

When it comes to racing, there can only be one winner in every race, and we’ve got them all (well, up until 2010, that is!). Check out the table below to see all the most recent winners of the Black Caviar Lightning Stakes:

You’ve almost reached the end of the page, congratulations! Gold star for you! But before you go, if you’ve got any more burning questions about the Black Caviar Lightning Stakes, hopefully we’ve answered them below.