Harvey won the Bendigo Thousand (120m) in 2013 and returned six years later to win the carnival's biggest prize in the Black Opal 400m.

The outmarker in the final off 40m, Harvey led all the way.

"I'm wrapt. The Bendigo Thousand was the biggest win early in my career, to come back and do the double that has only been done by one other person...I'm pretty stoked about that."

"I'm definitley running at Stawell, which event now I'm a bit up in the air because I just blew my mark.

"That doesn't matter because I have an Opal sash."

Last year's winner Paddy Turner qualified for the final, but finished outside of the placings.

State 400m champion Luke Stevens, who was running off two metres behind scratch, was always going to find it tough and he did well to qualify for the semi-finals.

He made good ground early in his semi-final, but couldn't finish off and missed the final.

Melbourne's Liv Ryan outclassed a strong field of runners to win Saturday night's feature event the Black Pearl 400m.

Ryan's performance was hindered mid-race when she ran wide, but that didn't stop the 18-year-old from Donvale storming home to victory.

"At the half way point during the race, it was a bit worrying," Ryan said.

"In the pack I was being pushed wide which I really didn't plan for.

"And then I ran most of the back bend wide too."

However, in the last moments of the race Ryan recalled a few comments from her coach earlier in the evening.

"After the heat my coach told me I lost all my form coming into the straight, so during the race I was thinking about being strong and using my arms," Ryan said.

"I did it somehow and got there in the end."

The 18-year-old received $3500 for the impressive victory.

Geelong's Liam Dooley won a thrilling Bendigo Thousand Final (120m) on Sunday night.

Running off 7.25m, Dooley edged out Matt Burleigh (10.25m) in a photo finish.

Dooley ran 12.411 seconds into a slight head wind.

"This my first win in eight years,'' Dooley said.

"I took four years off the sport and this is my second season back. Stawell is coming up in five or six weeks, hopefully I can keep this form going."

Mason Keast was third off 8.50m, with Daniel Sonsini fourth off 6.50m.

Ballarat's Tiana Shillito scored the biggest win of her career when she took out the Women's Bendigo Thousand Final (120m).

The outmarker off 16m, Shillito held off the fast-finishing Hana Basic (2.75m) in a time of 13.957 seconds.

"I haven't won many (races), so this is very exciting,'' 18-year-old Shillito said.

"I just wanted to go as hard as I could and not let them catch me.

"I'm used to them swarming me, but I looked to my side and they weren't there."

Shillito's previous biggest sprint win was the Stonnington Under-20 120m title in 2017.

Laura Downie, the winner of the 2018 Black Pearl 400m Final in Bendigo, looked capable of adding the Bendigo Thousand to her growing CV but had to settle for a close-up third.

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