Black Caviar Lightning Tips, Best Bets, Field and Odds

The Group 1 Black Caviar Lightning (1000m) will be held at Flemington on Saturday, February 13 and Bettingpro.com.au provides you with a comprehensive guide to the race.

Lightning Stakes tips, best bets, field & odds. Below is our complete Lightning Stakes guide — race details, history and past winners, lead-in form, betting markets and FAQs. Check back race week for the final field, odds and our best bets.

The Lightning Stakes — officially the Black Caviar Lightning — is Australia’s premier 1000m sprint Group 1, run at Flemington in mid-February. Named after the sprinter widely regarded as the greatest of all time, the Lightning brings together the country’s best pure sprinters for a straight-five blitz. This guide covers the Lightning Stakes dates, distance, prize money, betting markets and our full race-day tips. For the full carnival, see our Melbourne Autumn Racing Carnival guide.

Lightning Stakes Race Details

Detail	Value
Distance	1000m
Class	Group 1 Weight-for-Age
Age / Conditions	Three-year-olds and upwards
Venue	Flemington, Melbourne
Prize Money	$750,000
Run Date	Mid-February — Black Caviar Lightning Day

 

Lightning Stakes History & Winners

Recent winners include Nature Strip, Imperatriz (back-to-back), Giga Kick, Ugo Foscolo and Glint Of Hope. Black Caviar herself won the race three times (2011, 2012, 2013). The straight-1000m Flemington trip rewards raw speed and early acceleration, producing an honour roll of elite sprinters.

Black Caviar Lightning Recent Winners

Year	Winner
2026	Tentyris
2025	Skybird
2024	Imperatriz
2023	Coolangatta

 

Lead-In Races

The Lightning is usually a resuming target rather than a sit-behind form line. The Group 2 Rubiton Stakes (1100m) at Caulfield is the main prep for locals, while Sydney Everest runners resuming from a break also target this race.

Lightning Stakes Betting Markets

All major Australian bookmakers price the Lightning Stakes weeks out, with a full acceptances market released after the final field is declared. The core markets are:

• Fixed-Odds Win & Place — the bread-and-butter markets, with early speculative prices followed by final acceptances pricing.
• Each-Way — typically 1/4 the odds for a place (1-2-3).
• Exotics — quinella, exacta, trifecta and First 4. See our First 4 calculator guide.
• Same Race Multis — combine multiple runners from the same race into one bet. See our Same Race Multi guide.
• Head-to-Head & Group Markets — runner-vs-runner matchups and stable/country markets.

Black Caviar Lightning Betting Trends & Angles

• Australia’s premier 1000m sprint — straight down the Flemington track, named for the great Black Caviar (a three-time winner).
• Pure speed — the fastest horses in training; barrier and which rail the speed hugs are crucial.
• A Newmarket Handicap lead-up for the elite weight-for-age sprinters.

How to Watch the Black Caviar Lightning in Australia

The Lightning Stakes is run at Flemington, so as Victorian metropolitan racing it is broadcast live and free on Racing.com — on free-to-air digital TV (Channel 78 metro, 68 regional), online at racing.com and via the Racing.com app. It is also carried on Sky Racing (Foxtel Channel 522), and most licensed Australian bookmakers stream the race live to logged-in customers so you can watch and bet in one place.

The Black Caviar Lightning is run in mid-February on its own feature day at Flemington, with the sprint carded in the afternoon (AEDT). For more autumn sprint and feature form, see our Blue Diamond Stakes tips and All-Star Mile tips, plus our full horse racing tips hub.

Best Bookmakers for the Lightning Stakes

For a full comparison of the top Australian racing bookmakers, see our best horse racing betting sites in Australia guide.

Black Caviar Lightning FAQs

When is the Black Caviar Lightning?

February at Flemington, 1000m at weight-for-age — Australia’s fastest Group 1.

Who won the most recent Black Caviar Lightning?

Tentyris (2026), after Skybird (2025), Imperatriz (2024) and Coolangatta (2023).

How do I bet on it from Australia?

All Australian bookmakers frame fixed-odds markets; win and SRM are the core plays.

How can I watch the Black Caviar Lightning live?

The Lightning Stakes airs free on Racing.com (Channel 78 metro, 68 regional, plus the racing.com website and app) and on Sky Racing via Foxtel Channel 522. The sprint runs in the afternoon (AEDT) in mid-February, and most licensed Australian bookmakers also stream it live to logged-in account holders.