The Black Caviar Lightning Stakes is renowned as one of Australia’s most prestigious sprint events. First contested in 1955 and originally known simply as the Lightning Stakes, the race has long been a showcase for elite sprinters over 1000m down the iconic Flemington straight.

Under Weight-For-Age conditions, the Black Caviar Lightning Stakes boasts a substantial prize pool of $1 million and serves as the headline event on Flemington’s first Group 1 race day of the calendar year. It holds significant status as the opening leg of the Melbourne Autumn Racing Carnival’s Group 1 sprint series, preceding the Oakleigh Plate (1100m) at Caulfield and the Newmarket Handicap (1200m) back at Flemington.

The race received its current name in 2023 to honour the legendary sprinter Black Caviar, who is widely regarded as one of the greatest in Australian racing history. Undefeated across 25 career starts, Black Caviar achieved a remarkable hat-trick of victories in the Lightning Stakes from 2011 to 2013, setting a race record of 55.42 seconds in her final appearance. She remains the only horse to win the race three times, solidifying her legacy and inspiring the event’s renaming.