Can Damien Oliver sign off with How Now Stakes victory?

Queen Of The Ball ridden by Damien Oliver wins the Begonia Belle Stakes at Flemington. (Photo by Pat Scala/Racing Photos)

The Group 3 How Now Stakes (1200m) has attracted a strong field of 11 mares vying for the $200,000 on offer at Caulfield on Saturday afternoon.

All eyes will be on champion jockey Damien Oliver, who will have his final ride in Victoria aboard Queen Of The Ball (+220) in the How Now Stakes.

Queen of The Ball, the last start Begonia Belle Stakes (1100m) winner, will look to add a third win at 1200m from eight attempts.

A winner of four Group 3 races, Queen of The Ball will be looking to hand Oliver a fourth win in the race after partnering Sister Madly (2011), Secret Agenda (2016) and Zapateo (2022) to success in recent years.

Heading the market with online bookmakers, She Dances (+190) is hunting a third straight win following success in the Group 3 Northwood Plume Stakes (1200m) and Listed Chautauqua Stakes (1200m).

She Dances will once again be partnered by Linda Meech from barrier nine, with the pair having combined for five wins from nine starts.

Rose Quartz (+380) is the only other runner at a single figure quote ahead of the How Now Stakes.

The Grahame Begg-trained mare needs to overcome a 3.75 length defeat to Queen Of The Ball and a 1.25 length defeat to She Dances in the Northwood Plume Stakes.

The How Now Stakes brings the 10-race meeting at Caulfield to a close on Saturday, with the race set to jump at 5:40pm AEDT.

How Now Stakes 2023 Final Field

No. Silks Horse Trainer Jockey Barrier Weight
1 Silks
Queen Of The Ball
Michael Freedman
Damien Oliver
7
57kg
2 Silks
She Dances
Peter Moody & Katherine Coleman
Linda Meech
9
57kg
3 Silks
Rose Quartz
Grahame Begg
Michael Dee
6
55kg
4 Silks
Unusual Culture
Ciaron Maher & David Eustace
Blake Shinn
11
55kg
5 Silks
Starlight Scope
Pat Carey & Harris Walker
Jye McNeil
3
55kg
6 Silks
Fortunate Kiss
Daniel Bowman
Daniel Moor
2
55kg
7 Silks
My Yankee Girl
Vincent Malady
Billy Egan
5
55kg
8 Silks
Holly Lolly
Clinton McDonald
Blaike McDougall
4
56kg
9 Silks
Ghaanati
Peter & Paul Snowden
Kerrin McEvoy
10
55kg
10 Silks
Miss Middle Park
Ciaron Maher & David Eustace
Craig Williams
8
55kg
11 Silks
Lady Di Di
Cliff Brown
Beau Mertens
1
55kg

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