'A long time coming': Punters set to flock to Canberra Racing Club's Black Opal Stakes day

That all changes on Sunday. Racehorses will storm down the straight in pursuit of the Black Opal Stakes. Punters will line the lawns and stands with a firm grip on what they hope is a winning ticket.

Veteran trainer Vella reckons "you can feel that now". That excitement in the air, that bundle of nervous energy in your stomach, that winning embrace with the jockey and the owners. That moment is the reason trainers are at the stables at the crack of dawn every morning.

For the best part of two years that moment has been taken away, reduced to a distant memory with owners and racegoers locked out of venues at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.

But now Canberra Racing Club chief executive Andrew Clark has lauded the looming carnival as a new beginning for the sport in the region, confident it can mark the first step towards a prosperous future after an incredibly difficult two-year period.

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Gone are the lonely days when the extent of a celebration for a trainer like Todd Smart was a drive home, a few replays on television and a drink or two on the couch.

Few in Canberra racing circles are as well-equipped as Vella to describe the contrast between the two eras.

"I was here actually, when the first Black Opal ran. I think I was about 17 or 18 when it started. I went on my own training when I was about 22, and I'm 64 now," Black Opal-winning trainer Vella said.

"In the olden days, you couldn't believe what the Black Opal was or what the Canberra Cup was, it was enormous. The people here, the bookmakers, everything like that.

"I think now you can feel the feeling about it now, everyone is talking about, talking about the Canberra Cup and the Black Opal. I think it's going to be spot on."

The Peter and Paul Snowden-trained Metallicity has emerged as the favourite for Sunday's 1200m Black Opal Stakes after drawing barrier 14 for the showpiece event on Canberra's racing calendar.

The Nick Olive-trained Maid Of Ore is a chance in the 2000m Canberra Cup, with Chris Waller's Toomuchtobear the favourite to take out Monday's feature race.

Sunday marks the biggest event at Thoroughbred Park since racing returned to Canberra on Melbourne Cup day last year following a three-month hiatus during the pandemic.

The financial impact on the Canberra Racing Club was severe, just as it was for trainers and jockeys who were forced away from their home track and onto the road.

So the desire to have punters streaming through the gates over the coming days is clear. As Olive so simply puts it: "it's been a long time coming".

"Obviously we've been able to keep racing which has been great, but the whole reason we do it is to experience sharing the win with the owners and we haven't had that, so it's been a little bit hollow," Olive said.

"You win a race and you stand up there on the grass on your own, and you can't talk with the jockey or anything really. It's just like 'oh righto, we won'.

"Now it's starting to get back to normal, where the owners go into the community room, celebrate and watch the replay. You can hug people, jump around and carry on.

"We're pleased we were able to keep racing but it just felt empty. It would be good if Canberra supported it, it's been a long time coming."

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