Gratz Vella goes the 50-year journey of the Black Opal Stakes

It's the first Black Opal and the trainer is working for the late Robert O'Sullivan.

Then 14 years old, Vella led Golden Post into the parade ring and watched on as Rich Reward snared a slice of history in winning the inaugural running of the two-year-old feature.

Beyond that, the trainer can't remember too much more about the day except that he knew in that moment, the Black Opal would be around for a long time.

"It was not very often that we got a big race in Canberra at that time," Vella recalls. "When they announced we've got a two-year-old race called the Black Opal, everyone was excited.

"I can remember the old grandstand used to have a winding stairway going up and we were all leaning out watching the race. A local horse nearly won it, Teddy Doon was on it, he thought he'd won the race. He wanted to look at the photo finish, it was that close.

"I can't remember a lot of the day but I remember I was dressed up to kill. It was a very exciting day."

Fifty years on and Vella hasn't missed a Black Opal.

He will be back at Canberra Racecourse on Sunday for the latest edition of the two-year-old feature, his emerging gelding Chop The Ice an outside hope of causing a boilover.

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The race and the industry as a whole have evolved significantly since the first edition in 1973, Vella lucky enough to have a court-side seat to witness the changes.

"It sure has changed," he said. "There's now better horses, better bred horses and the prize money is helping a fair bit now.

"It used to be very hard and a real struggle to earn money. Now with the prizemoney the industry is really thriving now. In the last five to six years, [Peter] V'landys has really upped the racing tempo."

The changes to the industry haven't all been positive, with city trainers expanding their reach and dominating the sport.

While Vella feels there is still a place for the country battler, he recognises it's becoming increasingly difficult for smaller stables to compete with their deep-pocketed rivals.

Racing in Canberra has been particularly hard hit, with ACT-trained horses restricted from entering the lucrative Highway series and trainers facing sky-rocketing workers compensation bills.

A host of trainers have moved to NSW in recent months and there are genuine fears about the future of the industry in the capital.

New chief executive Darren Pearce has made it mission to save the sport and is working away behind the scenes to strike a better deal for Canberra stables.

Vella backed the boss to deliver, but fears the decision could be taken out of the race club's hands.

"I don't think I'll be here, but looking at it now, I think the government will make a decision in the next four to five years about what's going to happen," he said.

Canberra Racing Club has invested heavily in promoting and celebrating 50 years of the Black Opal in the build up to Sunday's race to ensure the event is befitting of its status on the calendar.

A high quality field featuring horses from the powerhouse Sydney stables will assemble behind the barriers and Pearce said it's important to celebrate the past while laying the groundwork for the future.

"It's a rebirthing of Canberra racing for the next phase of growth and development that it needs to go through to be competitive in the national racing scene," Pearce said.

"This race is a springboard for us. It's a celebration and acknowledgement of history and telling a story of the future of Canberra racing."

While Chop The Ice is currently a $61 hope for the Group 3 feature, Vella's runner will be a popular choice for the Canberra punters.

Vella was the last local trainer to win the time-honoured feature, You're Canny saluting in 2011 and he's eager to add to the tally on Sunday.

The Black Opal is a race the veteran targets every year, but at 65, he knows he may not have many more chances to win the event.

That doesn't mean, however, that Vella has any plans on giving it away just yet.

"I'm 65 and I'm still enjoying it as much as I did when I was a toddler," Vella said. "I wake up every morning looking forward to coming in and giving every horse a high five on their nose."

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