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Held during the early stages of the Melbourne Spring Racing Carnival, the Group 2 Let’s Elope Stakes is named in honour of racing champion and 1991 Melbourne Cup winner Let’s Elope.

The 1400m race takes place at Flemington Racecourse in early – mid September on Makybe Diva Stakes Day and is worth $300,000 in prize money as of 2021. Many of the Let’s Elope Stakes runners will come via the Group 3 Cockram Stakes (1200m) held earlier at Caulfield and could continue onto the Group 1 Myer Classic (1600m) – now known as the Empire Rose Stakes – back at Flemington during the Melbourne Cup Carnival.

No mare has completed the Let’s Elope Stakes – Myer Classic (now Empire Rose Stakes) double in the same season however since Rose Of Portland (1996).

The Let’s Elope Stakes form has stacked-up in tougher races many times however including in 2020 when the runner-up Arcadia Queen went on to complete the Group 1 Caulfield Stakes – Mackinnon Stakes double that spring.

The latest edition of the 2021 Let’s Elope Stakes ran on Saturday September 11, 2021 and was won by the in-form Turaath. 

2021 Let’s Elope Stakes
Date:	Saturday September 11, 2021
Track:	Flemington Racecourse
Distance:	1400m
Race Type:	Mares 4YO & Over – Set Weights & Penalties
Status:	Group 2
Prize Money:	$300,000

2021 Let’s Elope Stakes Results

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

The in-form Turaath ($5.50) handled a notable rise in grade to take her winning streak to four straight for Warrnambool trainer Maddie Raymond in the 2021 Let’s Elope Stakes results.

Check out the official Let’s Elope Stakes 2021 Results & Finishing Order below following the event.

	Finish	No.	Horse	Trainer	Jockey	Margin	Bar.	Weight	Penalty	Starting Price
	1	14	TURAATH (GB)	Maddie Raymond	Damian Lane		6	55kg		$5.50
	2	2	MYSTIC JOURNEY	Adam Trinder	Luke Nolen	1.25L	11	58kg		$14
	3	5	STILL A STAR	Bill Ryan	Luke Currie	1.55L	2	57kg		$6
	4	16	LOVE SENSATION	Kevin Corstens	Damien Thornton	1.85L	1	55kg		$51
	5	6	RICH HIPS	Trent Busuttin & Natalie Young	Craig Newitt	2.15L	15	57kg		$21
	6	1	INSTANT CELEBRITY	Phillip Stokes	Craig Williams	2.25L	12	59kg		$4F
	7	8	ZOU DANCER	Leon & Troy Corstens	Damien Oliver	2.45L	10	57kg		$7
	8	17e	BUTTER CHICKEN (NZ)	Grahame Begg	Jordan Childs	2.85L	3	55kg		$15
	9	13	BONVICINI	Ciaron Maher & David Eustace	Harry Coffey	2.95L	4	55kg		$18
	10	15	IMPECUNIOUS (NZ)	Trent Busuttin & Natalie Young	Ms Linda Meech	3.7L	9	55kg		$31
	11	11	RIPPER RITA	Greg Eurell	Jamie Mott	3.8L	14	55kg		$19
	12	3	QUANTUM MECHANIC	Mick Price & Michael Kent (Jnr)	Jye McNeil	4.2L	5	58kg		$21
	13	4	ONLY WORDS (NZ)	Chris Waller	Brett Prebble	4.3L	7	58kg		$61
	14	9	TYCHE GODDESS	Trent Busuttin & Natalie Young	Thomas Stockdale (a)	5.55L	13	57kg		$201
	15	7	CHICA FUERTE	Anthony & Sam Freedman	Fred Kersley	5.75L	8	57kg		$101
		12	DON’TTELLTHEBOSS	Robbie Griffiths & Mathew de Kock	Lachlan King (a)		0
		10	ANNAVISTO (NZ)	Mick Price & Michael Kent (Jnr)	John Allen		0

Table Credit: Racing Australia. 

2021 Let’s Elope Stakes Odds

The spring’s top Let’s Elope Stakes 2021 betting markets and links to the odds at Ladbrokes.com.au on the hopeful mares racing in the Group 2 Flemington race will be provided for punters below once released.

2021 Let’s Elope Stakes Field

The Let’s Elope Stakes field attracts a quality line-up of mares each Melbourne Spring Racing Carnival who may have had an earlier run in the Cockram Stakes a fortnight prior, which is the traditional lead-up into the Flemington clash.

The official Let’s Elope Stakes 2021 field & barriers are released the Wednesday leading-up to Makybe Diva Stakes Day and will be published below once announced.

A capacity line-up of mares will face off in Saturday’s 2021 Let’s Elope Stakes field including the widely-drawn favourite Instant Celebrity carrying top weight second-up off a Cockram Stakes third to Probabeel.

• Scratched: #10 Annavisto (15)

No	Last 10	Horse	Trainer	Jockey	Barrier	Weight	Penalty	Hcp Rating
1	1113x412x3	INSTANT CELEBRITY	Phillip Stokes	Craig Williams	13	59kg		108
2	x8017x225x	MYSTIC JOURNEY	Adam Trinder	Luke Nolen	12	58kg		109
3	x53312133x	QUANTUM MECHANIC	Mick Price & Michael Kent (Jnr)	Jye McNeil	6	58kg		104
4	x65619317x	ONLY WORDS (NZ)	Chris Waller	Brett Prebble	8	58kg		88
5	1111x1021x	STILL A STAR	Bill Ryan	Luke Currie	2	57kg		103
6	181x1960x6	RICH HIPS	Trent Busuttin & Natalie Young	Craig Newitt	17	57kg		100
7	310x52160x	CHICA FUERTE	Anthony & Sam Freedman	Fred Kersley	9	57kg		87
8	0x14115x45	ZOU DANCER	Leon & Troy Corstens	Damien Oliver	11	57kg		86
9	3330x2910x	TYCHE GODDESS	Trent Busuttin & Natalie Young	Thomas Stockdale (a)	14	57kg		78
10	80x12113x2	ANNAVISTO (NZ)	Mick Price & Michael Kent (Jnr)	John Allen	15	56kg		84
11	236x1313x	RIPPER RITA	Greg Eurell	Jamie Mott	16	55kg		81
12	8262315533	DON’TTELLTHEBOSS	Robbie Griffiths & Mathew de Kock	Lachlan King (a)	4	55kg		77
13	180x38478x	BONVICINI	Ciaron Maher & David Eustace	Harry Coffey	5	55kg		89
14	3610×32111	TURAATH (GB)	Maddie Raymond	Damian Lane	7	55kg		81
15	1x1x4339x4	IMPECUNIOUS (NZ)	Trent Busuttin & Natalie Young	Ms Linda Meech	10	55kg		80
16	50x45729x2	LOVE SENSATION	Kevin Corstens	Damien Thornton	1	55kg		74
17e	212x	BUTTER CHICKEN (NZ)	Grahame Begg	Jordan Childs	3	55kg		78

Table Credit: Racing Australia. 

2021 Let’s Elope Stakes Nominations

The Let’s Elope Stakes 2021 nominations are released by Racing Victoria the Monday of race week and will be available below.

The 2021 Let’s Elope Stakes nominations attracted a bumper 27 mares led in pre-field betting by the Phillip Stokes-trained Group 1 Robert Sangster Stakes winner in Adelaide Instant Celebrity.

Let’s Elope Stakes History

Originally a Listed race from 1987 to 2004, the Let’s Elope Stakes then elevated to Group Three status from 2005 to 2008 and in 2009 it finally reached Group Two status. Previously known as the Milady Stakes, the event’s fastest winning time was recorded in 2013 when Commanding Jewel won in a sharp 1:22.5. Commanding Jewel returned to take out the race again in 2014.

The Let’s Elope Stakes retains an important place in the Spring Racing Carnival as a reasonably accurate form indicator for punters in later Group 1 races, including in 2011 when the winner Pinker Pinker won the Cox Plate that October.

Recent Let’s Elope Stakes Winners

Year	Place	Horse	Time
2021 Let’s Elope Stakes	1st	Turaath	1 minute 23.69 seconds
	2nd	Mystic Journey
	3rd	Still A Star
2020 Let’s Elope Stakes	1st	Pretty Brazen	1 minute 22.84 seconds
	2nd	Arcadia Queen
	3rd	Bonvicini
2019 Let’s Elope Stakes	1st	Spanish Whisper	1 minute 22.23 seconds
	2nd	Miss Siska
	3rd	Fidelia
2018 Let’s Elope Stakes	1st	I Am A Star	1 minute 23.11 seconds
	2nd	Bella Martini
	3rd	Sheezdashing
2017 Let’s Elope Stakes	1st	Sword Of Light	1 minute 23.50 seconds
	2nd	Swampland
	3rd	Lovani
2016 Let’s Elope Stakes	1st	Don’t Doubt Mamma	1 minute 24.5 seconds
	2nd	Thames Court
	3rd	Manageress
2015 Let’s Elope Stakes	1st	Amicus	1 minute 23.07 seconds
	2nd	Precious Gem
	3rd	May’s Dream
2014 Let’s Elope Stakes	1st	Commanding Jewel	1 minute 23.61 seconds
	2nd	Dear Demi
	3rd	Nautical
2013 Let’s Elope Stakes	1st	Commanding Jewel	1 minute 23.08 seconds
	2nd	Catkins
	3rd	A Time For Julia
2012 Let’s Elope Stakes	1st	Zurella	1 minute 23.38 seconds
	2nd	Hi Belle
	3rd	Total Attraction
2011 Let’s Elope Stakes	1st	Pinker Pinker	1 minute 23.8 seconds
	2nd	Mid Summer Music
	3rd	Parables
2010 Let’s Elope Stakes	1st	No Evidence Needed	1 minute 26.85 seconds
	2nd	Response
	3rd	Live In Sin
2009 Let’s Elope Stakes	1st	Cats Whisker	1 minute 25 seconds
	2nd	Romneya
	3rd	Symphony Miss
2008 Let’s Elope Stakes	1st	Mimi Lebrock	1 minute 28.2 seconds
	2nd	Bellini Rose
	3rd	Devil Moon
2007 Let’s Elope Stakes	1st	Devil Moon	1 minute 23.4 seconds
	2nd	Eskimo Queen
	3rd	Bellini Rose
2006 Let’s Elope Stakes	1st	Rewaaya	1 minute 24.2 seconds
	2nd	Be Delicious
	3rd	Celtic Bloom
2005 Let’s Elope Stakes	1st	Dea	1 minute 23.3 seconds
	2nd	Timbourina
	3rd	Catscan
2004 Let’s Elope Stakes	1st	Beautiful Gem	1 minute 24.4 seconds
	2nd	Galvanized
	3rd	Demerger
2003 Let’s Elope Stakes	1st	Ain’t Seen Nothin	1 minute 24.4 seconds
	2nd	Classic Patches
	3rd	Reactive
2002 Let’s Elope Stakes	1st	Purple Groove	1 minute 24.9 seconds
	2nd	Tickle My
	3rd	Crimson Gem
2001 Let’s Elope Stakes	1st	Flushed	1 minute 24.5 seconds
	2nd	Miss Power Bird
	3rd	Lolita Star
2000 Let’s Elope Stakes	1st	Tickle My	1 minute 28.4 seconds
	2nd	Love’s Choice
	3rd	Monterosso