The spring carnival of 1991 is one jockey Steven King will never forget, thanks to deeds of Let’s Elope.
The Caulfield and Melbourne Cups winner has died at the age of 29 and King has paid tribute to the champion mare.
“It’s sad, because she was such an important part of my career,” King said.
“She did everything I could possibly ask of her.
“You just look at it and go, `you don’t find those sorts of horses’.”
Let’s Elope was Australia’s champion racehorse for the 1991/92 season, winning seven consecutive feature races in the care of the late Bart Cummings.
King was aboard for six of those wins including the Caulfield Cup, Mackinnon Stakes and Melbourne Cup.
“When I first laid eyes on her I was 21 and I was booked to ride her in the Turnbull Stakes,” he said.
“She obviously won the Turnbull and went on and won the Caulfield Cup and won the Melbourne Cup on my 22nd birthday.
“So it happened very quickly. You look back now and I was quite young myself, so I was lucky enough to be on such a great mare and all I had to do was steer her – she did the rest.”
Let’s Elope won 11 of her 26 starts during a career that started in New Zealand and finished in America.
As a broodmare, she produced eight named foals with six to race, all of them winners.
They included Group Two winner Ustinov and Adelaide Cup winner Outback Joe.
Last year’s Bart Cummings Quality winner Let’s Make Adeal is a grand-daughter.
Lauriston Park’s Chris and Kathie Bakker said Let’s Elope died peacefully in her sleep lying underneath a gum tree in her favourite paddock on Monday night at the farm where she had been a nanny in her final years.
King said he was especially pleased he had taken his three sons – 21-year-old Jordan, 18-year-old Lachie, and 16-year-old Ben – to visit Let’s Elope at the Euroa property last year.
“I took the boys out there and gave her a pat, and I’m glad the boys went out there and saw her,” he said.
“It’s like anything. You don’t really appreciate those sorts of things until later on in life.
“The fact they were able to pat her and know that their father won a Melbourne Cup on her, I think is important.”
Trainer Nigel Blackiston was foreman for Cummings during the Let’s Elope era and has had success with descendants of the mare including Outback Joe and Let’s Make Adeal.
“It was a privilege to be involved in Let’s Elope’s career,” Blackiston tweeted.
