Let's Elope

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Let's Elope was a giant chestnut mare from New Zealand who, in 1991, become the first mare in more than 50 years to complete Australia's famed Caulfield Cup - Melbourne Cup double (the "Cups double"). The last mare to complete the double had been Rivette in 1939.

By the Blushing Groom stallion Nassipour, out of Sharon Jane, she was a NZ$16,000 purchase at the 1989 New Zealand Magic Millions sale. Originally trained by Dave O’Sullivan for the Fleiter family, she was un-raced as a two-year-old but won her first start as a three-year-old in 1990. Despite showing above-average ability, her record in New Zealand was underwhelming, and, on the advice of her trainer, the owners accepted a NZ$150,000 offer for her. Her new owners, Dennis Marks and Kevin White, transferred her to the Australian stables of the “Cups King”, Bart Cummings.

Let's Elope was close-up in her first two starts for Cummings, and, while down the track in the wet at Caulfield, was a different horse on top of the ground. In a superb season, Let's Elope began a seven-race winning streak in the Turnbull Stakes, on the first weekend of October, took the Mackinnon Stakes and both the Cups, and returned in the new year for the Orr Stakes, the St George Stakes, and the Australian Cup, in course record time, on Labour Day in March. A fetlock injury then cut short her season, but Let's Elope had the 1992 Horse of the Year Award in her keeping.

She returned at five, and, while thwarted by wet tracks for much of the spring, won a match race with Better Loosen Up at Caulfield and was narrowly defeated by Super Impose in a classic Cox Plate (after the race, she was relegated from second to fifth for cutting off the unlucky Better Loosen Up). Ten days later, Let's Elope was one of three scratchings from the Melbourne Cup, which crashed the Totalisator, and threw betting on the great race into chaos. After a bleeding attack in the Japan Cup, Let's Elope continued her career in the United States.

She won a minor race on debut, and was first past the post in the prestigious Beverly D (before being relegated to third - under American rules, she was relegated for simply causing interference, not because the third horse would have beaten her home). The recurrence of a bleeding attack and a fractured cannon bone forced her retirement at the close of 1993.

At stud, Let's Elope has visited some of the world's greatest stallions, including Storm Cat, and, while considered slightly disappointing, has produced the stakeswinner Ustinov (by Seeking The Gold), who was placed in a number of Group One races.

Contents 1 Race Record 2 Prizemoney 2.1 Group 1 Wins 2.2 Group 2 Wins 2.3 Group 3 Wins

[edit] Race Record

26 starts - 11 wins, 0 seconds, 5 thirds

[edit] Prizemoney

A$2,940,250 NZ$42,925 US$169,000

[edit] Group 1 Wins

Year	Race	Track	Distance (m)	Weight (kg)	Time	Jockey
1991	VATC Caulfield Cup	Caulfield	2400	48.5	2:30.30	S.R.King
1991	VRC Mackinnon Stakes	Flemington	2000	54.5	2:01.80	S.R.King
1991	VRC Melbourne Cup	Flemington	3200	51.0	3:18.90	S.R.King
1992	VRC Australian Cup	Flemington	2000	55.5	2:00.00	D.Beadman

[edit] Group 2 Wins

Year	Race	Track	Distance (m)	Weight (kg)	Time	Jockey
1991	VRC Turnbull Stakes	Flemington	2000	50.0	2:01.90	S.R.King
1992	VATC C.F.Orr Stakes	Sandown	1400	55.5	1:22.00	S.R.King
1992	VATC St George Stakes	Caulfield	1800	55.5	1:48.50	S.R.King

[edit] Group 3 Wins

Year	Race	Track	Distance (m)	Weight (kg)	Time	Jockey
1991	MaRC Centaine Stakes	Awapuni (NZ)	2000	55.0	2:03.04	D.C.Lang