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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 $200,000 in prize money. 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) back at Flemington during the Melbourne Cup Carnival.

The latest edition of the 2018 Let’s Elope Stakes ran on September 15, 2018.

2018 Let’s Elope Stakes
Date:	September 15, 2018
Track:	Flemington Racecourse
Distance:	1400m
Race Type:	Mares 4YO & Over – Set Weights & Penalties
Status:	Group 2
Prize Money:	$200,000

2018 Let’s Elope Stakes Results

• 1st: TBD
• 2nd: TBD
• 3rd: TBD

Check out the official Let’s Elope Stakes 2018 Results & Finishing Order immediately following the conclusion of the race.

2018 Let’s Elope Stakes Odds

The spring’s top Let’s Elope Stakes 2018 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.

2018 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.

No	Last 10	Horse	Trainer	Jockey	Barrier	Weight	Penalty	Hcp Rating
1	x477100x43	I AM A STAR (NZ)	Shane Nichols	Ben Melham	13	58kg	–	106
2	1x311161x4	BELLA MARTINI	Michael, Wayne & John Hawkes	Dwayne Dunn	14	58kg	–	93
3	73211x209x	PAYROLL	Shawn Mathrick	Brett Prebble	5	57kg	–	102
4	x31164x60x	QUILATE	Michael Kent	Ethan Brown (a)	3	57kg	–	95
5	x701003310	MISS GUNPOWDER	David & B Hayes & T Dabernig	Craig Williams	11	55kg	–	100
6	1311214x0x	KENEDNA	Darren Weir	Brenton Avdulla (late alt)	2	55kg	–	93
7	720x2220x8	SAMOVARE	David & B Hayes & T Dabernig	Jordan Childs	12	55kg	–	97
8	6126x55x41	MERRIEST	Danny O’Brien	Damien Oliver	7	55kg	–	94
9	90x446x5x1	LA BELLA DIOSA (NZ)	David & B Hayes & T Dabernig	Regan Bayliss	1	55kg	–	104
10	56x687x580	JENNIFER LYNN	John McArdle	Jamie Mott	8	55kg	–	76
11	0x121216x1	MRS GARDENIA (NZ)	Darren Weir	Dean Yendall	4	55kg	–	92
12	5x4542223x	SHEEZDASHING	Mathew Ellerton & Simon Zahra	Damien Thornton	6	55kg	–	88
13	x32446x3x4	PETITION	Anthony Freedman	Jye McNeil	9	55kg	–	89
14	1510×30251	BELLARIA (NZ)	Darren Weir	Damian Lane	10	55kg	–	91

The official Let’s Elope Stakes 2018 field & barriers are released the Wednesday leading-up to Makybe Diva Stakes Day and will be published below once announced.

2018 Let’s Elope Stakes Nominations

The Let’s Elope Stakes 2018 nominations are released by Racing Victoria the Monday of race week and will be available below.

No.	Last 10	Horse	Sex	Age	Trainer	Ballot	Weight	Penalty	Hcp Rating
1	x477100x43	I AM A STAR (NZ)	M	5	Shane Nichols	1	58kg	–	106
2	1x311161x4	BELLA MARTINI	M	4	Michael, Wayne & John Hawkes	2	58kg	–	93
3	4x650610x0	SPECIAL ALERT	M	4	Andrew Noblet	3	58kg	–	78
4	73211x209x	PAYROLL	M	6	Shawn Mathrick	4	57kg	–	102
5	x31164x60x	QUILATE	M	6	Michael Kent	5	57kg	–	95
6	x701003310	MISS GUNPOWDER	M	6	David & B Hayes & T Dabernig	6	55kg	–	100
7	1311214x0x	KENEDNA	M	5	Darren Weir	7	55kg	–	93
8	720x2220x8	SAMOVARE	M	5	David & B Hayes & T Dabernig	8	55kg	–	97
9	90x446x5x1	LA BELLA DIOSA (NZ)	M	5	David & B Hayes & T Dabernig	9	55kg	–	104
10	6126x55x41	MERRIEST	M	5	Danny O’Brien	10	55kg	–	94
11	56x687x580	JENNIFER LYNN	M	5	John McArdle	11	55kg	–	76
12	0x121216x1	MRS GARDENIA (NZ)	M	5	Darren Weir	12	55kg	–	92
13	0x85313336	MOONLOVER	M	5	Matt Laurie	13	55kg	–	82
14	5x4542223x	SHEEZDASHING	M	4	Mathew Ellerton & Simon Zahra	14	55kg	–	88
15	x32446x3x4	PETITION	M	5	Anthony Freedman	15	55kg	–	89
16	9×64436541	SPANNER HEAD	M	5	Archie Alexander	16	55kg	–	80
17	1510×30251	BELLARIA (NZ)	M	5	Darren Weir	17	55kg	–	91

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
2018 Let’s Elope Stakes	1st	TBD	TBD
	2nd	TBD
	3rd	TBD
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