Black Pearl Stakes Race Information
The Black Pearl is a 1200 metre set weights plus penalties race for fillies and mares run by the Geelong Race Club in October. It is held at Geelong as part of the Spring Racing Carnival.
- Race Type: Listed
- Distance: 1200 metres
- Conditions: Set weights plus penalties, fillies & mares, 3YO & upwards
- Track: Geelong Racecourse, Geelong, Victoria
- Prizemoney: $200,000
- Date: Saturday 6 January 2024
Black Pearl Race History
See the 2024 Black Pearl Stakes Preview and results.
The race was normally held on a Wednesday in late October, two weeks before the Melbourne Cup. It was on the same day as the Group 3 Geelong Cup over 2400m and the Listed Geelong Classic for three-year-olds over 2000m.
There has been a feature 1200m fillies and mares event on Geelong Cup day since at least 2011 but 2014 seems to be when the Black Pearl name was first used and it was held as a Listed race.
It wasn’t run in 2023 and was moved to a Saturday in early January 2024.
Useful Facts
Multiple winners: none
Fastest time (1200m): Moonlover (2018) 1:10:48
Leading jockey: Mark Zahra with two wins (Wild Vixen 2020; Moonlover 2018)
Interesting trivia:
Past winners of the Black Pearl
Winners of past Black Pearl Stakes include Moonlover and River Delta.
| Year | Winner | Second | Third |
| 2024 | Va Via | Danny’s St Darci | Megamea |
| 2022 | Turaath | Jump The Broom | Larkspur Run |
| 2021 | Rainbiel | Night Raid | How Womantic |
| 2020 | Wild Vixen | Too Good Too Hard | Music Bay |
| 2019 | Smart Coupe | Gina’s Hope | Into The Abyss |
| 2018 | Moonlover | Split Lip | In Good Time |
| 2017 | Deja Blue | Ghisoni | Crystal Fountain |
| 2016 | Rockolicious | Zara Bay | A Lotta Love |
| 2015 | Exclusive Lass | Nautical | Mossbeat |
| 2014 | River Delta | Danestroem | Nadeem Lass |
| 2013 | Lady Antebellum | Spitfire Lady | Nadhima |
| 2012 | Honey Flower | Koonoomoo | Spot On Maggie |
| 2011 | Inablitz | Sussuro | Minnie Mah |