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The How Now Stakes is a Group 3 sprint race run at Melbourne’s Caulfield Racecourse during mid to late-November having been moved ahead of the 2023 edition from its earlier September time-slot .

The How Now Stakes forms an integral part of the Melbourne Spring Racing Carnival and is open only to mares aged four-years-old and over.

The How Now Stakes now shares the race card with the Group 1 Thousand Guineas (1600m) and Group 1 Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes (1400m).

Raced over 1200, the How Now Stakes is held under set weights with penalties conditions and offers $200,000 in total prize money as of 2021.

One of the better recognised lead-up races to the How Now Stakes is the Group 3 Cockram Stakes (1200m) in August, run over 1200m. Savanna Amour (2017) was the last mare to complete the Cockram Stakes – How Now Stakes double. The Group 2 Let’s Elope Stakes (1400m) under the same conditions is also a good indicator of mares likely to remain in Melbourne to contest the How Now Stakes.

The 2021 How Now Stakes form was franked with the winner Bella Nipotina going on to enjoy a stellar spring carnival that included a second in the Group 1 Manikato Stakes (1200m) and third to Nature Strip in the Group 1 VRC Sprint Classic (1200m).

The 2022 How Now Stakes winner Zapateo went on to frank the form the following year running third in both the Group 1 Robert Sangster Stakes and Group 1 The Goodwood in Adelaide in May of 2023.

The 2023 How Now Stakes ran on Saturday November 18, 2023 as part of Caulfield’s new look Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes Day card held at the tail end of the spring carnival and was won narrowly by the consistent Grahame Begg-trained Rose Quarts ($6.50). 

How Now Stakes
Date:	Saturday November 18, 2023
Track:	Caulfield Racecourse
Distance:	1200m
Race Type:	4YO&UP Mares SW+P
Status:	Group 3
Prize Money:	$200,000

2023 How Now Stakes Results

• 1st: #3 Rose Quartz ($6.50)
• 2nd: #9 Ghaanati
• 3rd: #2 She Dances

The Grahame Begg-trained Written Tycoon six-year-old Rose Quartz ($6.50) continued her consistent spring form with a deserving Group 3 win narrowly taking out the 2023 How Now Stakes results at her pet distance.

	Finish	No.	Horse	Trainer	Jockey	Margin	Bar.	Weight	Penalty	Starting Price
	1	3	ROSE QUARTZ	Grahame Begg	Michael Dee		4	55kg		$6.50
	2	9	GHAANATI	Peter & Paul Snowden	Kerrin McEvoy	0.3L	7	55kg		$13
	3	2	SHE DANCES	Peter G Moody & Katherine Coleman	Ms Linda Meech	0.6L	6	57kg		$2.40F
	4	4	UNUSUAL CULTURE (NZ)	Ciaron Maher & David Eustace	Blake Shinn	2.85L	8	55kg		$10
	5	1	QUEEN OF THE BALL	Michael Freedman	Damien Oliver	4.6L	5	57kg		$3.10
	6	8	HOLLY LOLLY	Clinton McDonald	Blaike McDougall	5.35L	3	55kg		$51
	7	6	FORTUNATE KISS	Daniel Bowman	Daniel Moor	7.35L	2	55kg		$26
	8	11	LADY DI DI	Cliff Brown	Beau Mertens	7.65L	1	55kg		$26
		7	MY YANKEE GIRL	Vincent Malady	Billy Egan		0
		10	MISS MIDDLE PARK	Ciaron Maher & David Eustace	Craig Williams		0
		5	STARLIGHT SCOPE	Pat Carey & Harris Walker	Jye McNeil		0

Table Credit: Racing Australia.

2023 How Now Stakes Betting Odds

The spring’s top How Now Stakes 2023 betting odds and Group 3 Caulfield racing links to Ladbrokes.com.au will be provided below the week leading up to Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes Day.

Secret Agenda ($2.80 in 2016) followed by Bella Nipotina ($3.60 in 2021) are the latest How Now Stakes betting favourites to win.

2023 How Now Stakes Field

The How Now Stakes field attracts a line-up of quality mares each Melbourne Spring Racing Carnival.

The official 2023 How Now Stakes Final Field & Barriers are released on the Wednesday of race week and will be published in full below.

2023 How Now Stakes Nominations

Nominations for the How Now Stakes close the Monday leading-up to Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes Day and will be published below.

How Now Stakes History

The How Now Stakes was inaugurated in 1999, with Snippet’s Lass taking out the race that year. While the How Now Stakes doesn’t hold the long and storied history of other Caulfield events, it still stands up on its own as a respectable and worthy event.

In 2005 there was a dead heat between Sarah Michelle and Brindabella. In the same year, the How Now Stakes was upgraded from a listed race to a Group 3 event, a status it has retained since.

The How Now Stakes has been known by a variety of names throughout its short history. These include the Cranbourne Diahatsu Stakes, Dubai Convention Bureau Stakes, Dubai International Stakes and Emirates Racing Association Stakes. In 2006, the How Now Stakes returned to its correct name. Then in 2013, the race became known as the Sportingbet Sprint Series Heat 2, a name that it continued to hold throughout 2014.

Notable How Now Stakes winners include Piavonic (2000), Valentine Miss (2010), Catkins (2013), and Secret Agenda (2016) who went on to win the following year’s Group 1 Robert Sangster Stakes (1200m) in Adelaide.

How Now Stakes results since 2000 are listed below.

How Now Stakes Results

Year	Place	Horse	Time
2023 How Now Stakes	1st	Rose Quartz	1 minute 09.28 seconds
	2nd	Ghaanati
	3rd	She Dances
2022 How Now Stakes	1st	Zapateo	1 minute 13.29 seconds
	2nd	Lavish Girl
	3rd	Chain Of Lightning
2021 How Now Stakes	1st	Bella Nipotina	1 minute 10.75 seconds
	2nd	Chassis
	3rd	La Mexicana
2020 How Now Stakes	1st	Felicia	1 minute 10.20 seconds
	2nd	Broadwayandfourth
	3rd	Fiesta
2019 How Now Stakes	1st	Manicure	1 minute 10.41 seconds
	2nd	Angelic Ruler
	3rd	Dawn Dawn
2018 How Now Stakes	1st	Winter Bride	1 minute 9.94 seconds
	2nd	Ellicazoom
	3rd	Platinum Angel
2017 How Now Stakes	1st	Savanna Amour	1 minute 9.42 seconds
	2nd	Legless Veuve
	3rd	Ravi
2016 How Now Stakes	1st	Secret Agenda	1 minute 12.2 seconds
	2nd	Every Faith
	3rd	Exclusive Lass
2015 How Now Stakes	1st	Politeness	1 minute 10.7 seconds
	2nd	Griante
	3rd	Jessy Belle
2014 How Now Stakes	1st	Girl Guide	1 minute 10.3 seconds
	2nd	A Time For Julia
	3rd	Shamal Wind
2013 How Now Stakes	1st	Catkins	1 minute 12.5 seconds
	2nd	Hi Belle
	3rd	Flash Of Doubt
2012 How Now Stakes	1st	Detours	1 minute 10.4 seconds
	2nd	Classy Chloe
	3rd	Mrs Onassis
2011 How Now Stakes	1st	Sister Madly	1 minute 10.3 seconds
	2nd	Valentine Miss
	3rd	Lone Rock
2010 How Now Stakes	1st	Valentine Miss	1 minute 9.3 seconds
	2nd	I’m A Hussy
	3rd	Red Flair
2009 How Now Stakes	1st	Velocitea	1 minute 11.4 seconds
	2nd	Neroli
	3rd	Dollops
2008 How Now Stakes	1st	Vivacious Spirit	1 minute 10.5 seconds
	2nd	Benatar
	3rd	Vormista
2007 How Now Stakes	1st	Miss Judgement	1 minute 9.8 seconds
	2nd	Juste Momente
	3rd	Flying Object
2006 How Now Stakes	1st	Queen Of The Hill	1 minute 10.9 seconds
	2nd	Megadeal
	3rd	Nuclear Free
2005 How Now Stakes	=1st	Sarah Michelle	1 minute 13.9 seconds
	=1st	Brindabella
	3rd	Little Chloe
2004 How Now Stakes	1st	Strikeline	1 minute 10.5 seconds
	2nd	Solar Antiquity
	3rd	Skewiff
2003 How Now Stakes	1st	Lovely Jubly	1 minute 9.0 seconds
	2nd	Infinite Grace
	3rd	Astaroth
2002 How Now Stakes	1st	Taimana	1 minute 9.8 seconds
	2nd	Calming
	3rd	Galapagos Girl
2001 How Now Stakes	1st	Miss Power Bird	1 minute 11.3 seconds
	2nd	Purple Groove
	3rd	Dynamic Love
2000 How Now Stakes	1st	Piavonic	1 minute 10.3 seconds
	2nd	Nova Clause
	3rd	Clemens Belle