Nola Soul Confirmed Her Brighter Future in the Chesham Stakes at Royal Ascot

The son of Justify maintained his unbeaten record and projects as one of the colts with the greatest future within the European generation

BERKSHIRE, England (Special for Turf Diario).– He is still far from being a finished product, but Nola Soul made it clear that he possesses an enormous potential by keeping his unbeaten record intact this Wednesday at Royal Ascot, prevailing in the Chesham Stakes (L), one of the events reserved for the most promising 2-year-olds of the week.

The race began with drama when the favorite Aix La Chapelle (Justify) reared inside the starting gates and had to be scratched before the break. Once underway, the son of Justify showed some immaturity by racing with too much keenness during the early stages of the 1400 meters, although he responded with class when Seamie Heffernan asked him for the decisive effort.

One of the first to be under pressure, the trainee of Fozzy Stack brought out courage and quality to shake loose in the final meters and score by half a length over the debutant On Just Terms (Justify), while Aperoll (Ghaiyyath), third, finished just a head behind the runner-up.

The triumph confirmed the excellent impression he had left on his debut, when he defeated King Of Cloughan (St Mark's Basilica) at Leopardstown—who just 24 hours earlier had captured the Windsor Castle Stakes (L)—further boosting the value of that performance.

For Stack, it was a very special success, as it marked his first victory at Royal Ascot: "Nola Soul is a lovely colt and we always held him in very high regard. Seamie liked him from day one. He is a big, strong individual capable of sustaining speed for a long time. If he came out well from his debut, the plan was to come straight here, because this is the place where we all want to be," the trainer explained.

Stack added: "We arrived with high hopes. You always hope that horses deliver, whether to win or just to run well. He is a January-born colt and I believe that, in time, he will have no problem getting 2000 meters. Hopefully, he can target an important race towards the end of the season."

Heffernan was also enthusiastic about the winner's future: "The best part is that he still has plenty of room to improve. I know the stock of Justify well and I know what they are like. Many have an enormous engine, and when they manage to channel it, very good horses appear. This one always showed quality; he has a long stride, heart, and presence. When a horse gives you special feelings from day one and keeps confirming it week after week, it is usually because he is truly good."

The rider also highlighted the vision of owner Craig Bernick: "Congratulations must go to him because he was the one who chose him. He sent him to Fozzy with great confidence, and we all agreed that he was above average. Winning here means a lot."

Behind the winner, there were also very positive impressions. Dylan Browne McMonagle praised the debut of On Just Terms: "He didn't break sharply, but he settled well and finished with plenty of run. He is a horse to follow closely."

Meanwhile, Richard Hannon was satisfied with the third-place effort of Aperoll: "You come to Royal Ascot to find out if you have a good filly, and the answer is yes. She is a filly for next year, and I believe she will be fully competitive at the highest level."