Let’s Elope Stakes 2021

Ladbrokes Tip: Let’s Elope Stakes graduates often continue onto the Empire Rose Stakes

The Let’s Elope Stakes is a Group 2 race for mares aged four-years-old and above run at Flemington Racecourse on Makybe Diva Stakes Day in September during the Melbourne Spring Racing Carnival.

The meeting is headlined by the Group 1 Makybe Diva Stakes (1600m) and also features the recently upgraded Group 2 Bobbie Lewis Quality (1200m). Contested over 1400m at set weights plus penalties, the Let’s Elope Stakes offers $300,000 in total prize money, was upgraded to a Group 2 race in 2009 and is named in honour of the 1991 Caulfield Cup – Melbourne Cup winner Let’s Elope.

Many mares in the Let’s Elope Stakes field head towards a run back at the track during the Melbourne Cup Carnival in the Group 1 Myer Classic (1600m), now known as the Empire Rose Stakes. The Let’s Elope Stakes – Myer Classic double was last achieved by Rose Of Portland (2006).

In 2020 the Let’s Elope Stakes runner-up Arcadia Queen went on to complete the Group 1 Caulfield Stakes – Mackinnon Stakes double over 2000m in Melbourne that spring.

The latest edition of the Let’s Elope Stakes took place on Saturday September 11, 2021 and was won by the progressive Turaath. 

2021 Let’s Elope Stakes Results

The official Let’s Elope Stakes 2021 results and finishing order will be available below once the race takes place on Makybe Diva Stakes Day, held on Saturday September 11, 2021.

• 1st: #14 Turaath
• 2nd: #2 Mystic Journey
• 3rd: #5 Still A Star

The Maddie Raymond-trained Turaath ($5.50) enjoyed a fourth win on the trot rising in grade to defeat inaugural All-Star Mile winner Mystic Journey (2nd) and Still A Star (3rd) in the Let’s Elope Stakes 2021 results.

Let’s Elope Stakes Race Info

• Date: Saturday September 11, 2021
• Track: Flemington Racecourse
• Distance: 1400m
• Conditions: Mares – Set Weights + Penalties
• Status: Group 2
• Prize Money: $300,000
• First Run: 1987

Let’s Elope Stakes Odds

Let’s Elope Stakes betting markets are traditionally led by the class mares in the race with good lead-up form in a race like the Cockram Stakes.

Pretty Brazen (7th in 2020) was the last Let’s Elope Stakes winner to come out of a lead-up run in the Cockram at Caulfield.

Proven Group 1 performers, those with a good Flemington track record and mares with winning form over 1400m – 1600m also dominate the Let’s Elope Stakes odds each year.

Upsets are not uncommon in the Let’s Elope Stakes and often laying the favourite can prove profitable, like in 2017 when Sword Of Light scored an upset at Let’s Elope Stakes odds of $18 and in 2020 when Pretty Brazen saluted at $20.

2021 Let’s Elope Stakes Odds

The updated Let’s Elope Stakes 2021 betting odds and links to our Flemington Makybe Diva Stakes Day markets will be available right here the week of the race.

The Let’s Elope Stakes field attracts a line-up of the season’s best mares, many heading towards the Empire Rose Stakes back at Flemington over the mile in November. Runners from Sydney may come off an earlier spring run in the Group 3 Toy Show Quality (1300m) at Randwick, a double achieved by Amicus in 2015.

The main Melbourne lead-up into the Let’s Elope is the Group 3 Cockram Stakes (1200m) held the month before. Commanding Jewel came off a third in the Cockram Stakes before her 2014 Let’s Elope win, successfully defending her title in the latter. In 2017 Sword Of Light improved off a lead-up fifth in the Cockram Stakes to win the Let’s Elope Stakes.

Most recently the 2019 Let’s Elope Stakes winner Spanish Whisper improved on a Cockram Stakes second in the lead-up, while the following year Pretty Brazen won the 2020 Let’s Elope off her seventh in the Cockram.

Pinker Pinker completed the 2011 Let’s Elope Stakes – Cox Plate double. Photo Credit: Taron Clarke.

In 2013 A Time For Julia ran second in the Cockram Stakes and third in the Let’s Elope. The next traditional run for mares out of the Let’s Elope Stakes field is the Group 2 Stocks Stakes (1600m) at Moonee Valley on Moir Stakes Night.

In 2015 May’s Dream ran third in the Let’s Elope and second in the Stocks Stakes. The previous year Commanding Jewel won the Let’s Elope Stakes for a second time in 2014 before a Stocks Stakes third.

In 2011 the Let’s Elope winner Pinker Pinker finished second in the Stocks Stakes before heading to Sydney where she was runner-up in the Group 1 Epsom Handicap (1600m) and then won the Group 1 Cox Plate (2040m) back in Melbourne.

More recently in 2017 I Am A Star improved on a lead-up seventh in the Let’s Elope Stakes to win the Stocks Stakes. She then won the following year’s Let’s Elope – Stocks Stakes double (2018).

2021 Let’s Elope Stakes Field

The official Let’s Elope Stakes 2021 Final Field & Barriers are out the Wednesday of race week and will be published in full below.

The 2021 Let’s Elope Stakes field features a capacity line-up of female gallopers including the Phillip Stokes-trained Robert Sangster Stakes winner Instant Celebrity carrying the top weight from a wide gate second-up off a Cockram Stakes third.

• Scratched: #10 Annavisto (15)

2021 Let’s Elope Stakes Nominations

Let’s Elope Stakes nominations for 2021 close on the Monday of race week and will be provided in full below.

The 2021 Let’s Elope Stakes nominations drew 27 early entries with Robert Sangster Stakes winning mare Instant Celebrity leading all-in betting.

   Table Credit: Racing Australia.

Let’s Elope Stakes Form Guide

The Let’s Elope Stakes form guide gives punters all the must know information on the race and its runners like the jockeys, trainers, barriers and lead-up runs. A Cockram Stakes run last time out and ability at Flemington are key pointers to look out for in the form guide.

Let’s Elope Stakes form has stacked up in better races plenty of times over the years. In 2013 Dear Demi (7th) went on to run third in the Group 1 Underwood Stakes (1800m) and Group 1 Caulfield Cup (2400m) as well as running second in the Group 1 Mackinnon Stakes (2000m) that spring.

Also in 2013 the Let’s Elope Stakes runner-up Catkins went on to run second to stablemate Red Tracer in the Myer Classic later that campaign.

In 2020 the upset Let’s Elope Stakes winner Pretty Brazen ran a next-up third in the Group 1 Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes, while the runner-up Arcadia Queen further franked the form running third in the Underwood before winning both the Group 1 Caulfield Stakes (2000m) and Group 1 Mackinnon Stakes (2000m) in the subsequent weeks.

2021 Let’s Elope Stakes Form Guide

A link to our comprehensive Let’s Elope Stakes 2021 Form Guide will be provided for punters below the week of the race.

Let’s Elope Stakes Tips

Let’s Elope Stakes tips include looking for the best mares out of the Cockram Stakes with proven form at the Flemington track and over 1400m. Mares that contested the previous year’s Let’s Elope Stakes race and ran well also make a good tip, as do those coming off winning form in other Melbourne Spring Racing Carnival lead-up races.

2021 Let’s Elope Stakes Tips

Our Ladbrokes’ exclusive Let’s Elope Stakes 2021 betting tips and Group 2 predictions will be detailed in full below a day or two out from race day so stay tuned for the mares to back this spring.

• Best Roughie: #3 Quantum Mechanic ($20 at time of publish) 

Love the 19/1 price first-up for this consistent Deep Field mare who is proven at HQ (4:1-2-1). She was so good when constantly underrated going around at similar odds all autumn only to “surprise” again and again. Last run at Flemington produced a second behind Sovereign Award in the Group 3 Matron Stakes before she went to The Valley to claim the Group 2 Sunline Stakes. Two late autumn runs were back-to-back thirds in Sydney including the Group 1 Queen Of The Turf Stakes. No doubt a mile is her preferred, but fresh at 1400m she’s a genuine hope at big odds.

Let’s Elope Stakes Results

A mix of single and double-figure runners have won the Let’s Elope Stakes in the past decade and the most notable recent upset was by Pretty Brazen ($20 in 2020).

Noteworthy Let’s Elope Stakes winners include Commanding Jewel (2013-14), Pinker Pinker (2011) and Mannerism (1992).

Notable recent McEwen Stakes winners include Chautauqua (2015), Buffering (2011), Hay List (2010) and Miss Andretti (2006).

Let’s Elope Stakes Winners