From his teenage years travelling to Canberra, the feature has been high on the list of races he's been desperate to win.

There had been multiple near misses, but the Black Opal was one that had evaded him.

A second-place finish way back in 2011 on short-priced favourite Karuta Queen has stuck with the jockey for more than a decade, the scars still raw as he travelled to Canberra this weekend.

That all changed on Sunday when Berry steered Holmes A Court to a dominant win in the 2024 edition of the $250,000 feature.

The jockey is married to Sharnee Nisbet, daughter of Canberra trainer John Nisbet and regards the city as his second home. He is an ardent Raiders fan.

So when Berry declared Sunday's Black Opal win a special result, the emotions were written all over his face.

"This is my second home," he said.

"My wife's from here and I spent just as much time here growing up when I was younger as I did at home. I was favourite in this race on Karuta Queen, I was [$1.20] back in 2011.

"I got beat on that day and it's hurt me ever since. I've ridden a few placings, I just haven't been able to crack it. To do it for the Snowdens and Henry Field, who are great supporters of mine, it means a lot."

Holmes A Court finished one and a half lengths clear of $1.65 favourite Fully Lit, with Gerald Ryan and Sterling Alexiou's Amazing Eagle third.

Vella's Best was the first of the local horses home, the gelding leading for much of the race before fading late and holding on for a gallant fifth.

The win continued Peter and Paul Snowden's dominance of the Black Opal, with the stable now winning three of the past five editions, including back to back in 2020 and 2021 with Kalashnikov and Barbaric.

It was a successful day for the co-trainers, Xidaki claiming the Canberra Guineas in the race prior to the triumph in the Group Three feature.

Sunday's win caps a stunning redemption story for Berry after he was handed a seven-month disqualification early last year for his role in a tips-for-benefits scandal.

The jockey has hit the ground running since returning in September and Paul Snowden said it was an honour to help him snap the Black Opal hoodoo.

"It's well documented he's got a lot of family down here," Snowden said.

"He got a big thrill out if it, didn't he, which is good to see.

"He's good for racing. He does a lot behind the scenes that a lot of people don't know about so he deserves it."

The stable and owners Newgate have some tough decisions to make in the coming week, with the connections to decide whether to contest the Golden Slipper.

The $5 million riches on offer are an attractive lure, but Snowden was hesitant to commit to the race on Sunday.

"I don't know," the trainer said. "He's proven to not be at that top level and placing him here was to his advantage today and he got the job done well.

"But he's in the race so it's a matter for the owners and they'll have a look. If he did go there, he deserves a shot, he won here today and that gets you in."

Berry, however, didn't need much convincing when asked if Holmes A Court should push on for the country's most prestigious two-year-old race.

"He will go to the Slipper and he'll be competitive," Berry said. "He's just so honest and he executes himself very well."

Kris Lees will look to follow the proven path to Sydney's autumn features after Almania raced away with a dominant Canberra Cup victory.

The Australian Bloodstock horse delivered the trainer his second win in the race, after Mugatoo saluted in 2020.

Annabel Neasham's Redstone Well finished more than a length back in second, with Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott's favourite So United third.

Success in the Canberra Cup has long acted as a launching pad to glory in Sydney's biggest races, with 2023 winner Arapaho going on to win the Group One Tancred Stakes at Rosehill and last year's runner-up Explosive Jack claiming the Sydney Cup at Randwick.

Lees stable representative Danny Greer said Almania will follow a similar path in the coming weeks, with the trainer confident the eight-year-old still hasn't reached his peak.

"Mugatoo was very good here a few years ago winning and likewise a good effort from Almania today," Greer said.

"He looked the winner a long way out, full credit to the horse and a nice ride from [jockey] Dylan [Gibbons] as well.

"He's nominated for the feature races through the autumn, the Sydney Cup and others, so after a decent win like that, we'll consider our options."

Apprentice jockey Dylan Gibbons guided Almania to the victory, the youngster producing a superb ride to add to a growing resume.

Gibbons is considered one of the most promising emerging jockeys in the industry and has been tipped by many to enjoy a long and successful career.

Gibbons knew he was on the winning ride a long way from home and remained patient before pouncing to race away from his rivals.

"I haven't been that confident a long way from home in a while," he said.

"He filled me with that much confidence in the run. I was that arrogant, once [So United] went, I was happy to keep on his coattails.

"That's how good he's going at the moment, he'd run through a brick wall, it's great to see."

Almania's win came as Waterhouse and Bott's import Coin Toss opened his autumn with a commanding victory in the Listed National Sprint.

The gelding arrived in Australia from Singapore last spring but struggled in the Golden Eagle.

On Sunday, however, Coin Toss proved he will be one to watch after finishing two lengths clear of Keith Dryden's Demanding Mo and Kris Lees' Kinloch.

"It's fantastic to see," Bott said.

"This is the first preparation I've been able to see him from the outset. Last campaign he landed in [the stable] out of quarantine and we just had him at the back end of the carnival so we were learning about him.

"We've seen a lot more through the start of this campaign and the blinkers on today switched him on. He was more forward in the running than expected but he travelled great and was very strong."