Dear Demi Fit Enough To Win Let’s Elope Stakes

Trainer Clarry Connors is confident that Dear Demi is fit enough to win the 2014 Let’s Elope Stakes at Flemington on Saturday.

Dear Demi is chasing her first race win since she took out The Roses during the 2013 Brisbane Winter Racing Carnival.

Dear Demi is chasing her first race win since she took out The Roses during the 2013 Brisbane Winter Racing Carnival. Photo by: Daniel Costello

Dear Demi returned to the races with a promising fifth place finish in the Group 3 Cockram Stakes (1200m) at Caulfield and Connors told Racing Ahead that the Dehere mare has taken plenty of improvement from her first-up run.

The veteran trainer watched Dear Demi work yesterday and he is delighted with the condition of his star galloper heading into the Group 3 Let’s Elope Stakes (1400m) this weekend.

“I was in Melbourne yesterday and I watched her work,” Connor said.

“I was tickled pink with her and she was working super.

“She worked really nice and I am very happy with the mare.

“She looks like she has done a little bit too well on me, that’s all, but she is fine and these hard runs should top her off lovely.”

Dear Demi has not recorded a race win since she took out the Group 3 The Roses (2000m) at Eagle Farm in June of last year, but the strong second-up record of the five-year-old has Connors hopeful that she can end up winning drought on Saturday.

The Crown Oaks winner finished a close third behind It’s A Dundeel and glamour mare Atlantic Jewel in the Group 1 Underwood Stakes (1800m) at Caulfield second-up during the 2013 Spring Racing Carnival and has also won races like the Group 2 Furious Stakes (1400m) and Group 2 Surround Stakes (1400m) in the second starts of her preparation.

“She has a great record second-up if you go through her form, she puts a bottler in second-up and third-up she usually goes backwards a bit and she goes from there on,” Connors said.

“She is fit enough.”

Dear Demi is currently available at Let’s Elope Stakes odds of $10, while there has already been a serious move for Cockram Stakes placegetter Commanding Jewel in the Let’s Elope Stakes betting market with Ladbrokes Australia.

Commanding Jewel opened on the second line of betting at $3.20, but was quickly backed into $2.80 and early favourite Gregers is out to $3.20 after she was backed into $2.90 in the early stages of betting.

Resuming mare Solicit ($6.50) is the only other galloper available at singe figure odds, while there has been some early support for Gig ($10).

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Thomas Hackett

Thomas is a passionate and opinionated racing journalist and punter who has been obsessed with horse racing since he backed Saintly to win the 1996 Melbourne Cup. An international racing enthusiast, he has his finger on the pulse of racing news not just from Australia but all around the world.