Nola Soul (11/2) may not be the finished article yet but Fozzy Stack’s runner looks full of promise after maintaining his perfect record in the Listed Chesham Stakes.
There was drama at the start of the seven-furlong contest after favourite Aix La Chapelle reared in the stalls and was subsequently withdrawn.
Noticeably keen in the early stages, Nola Soul was one of the first to come off the bridle but responded to Seamie Heffernan’s urgings to run out a decisive half-length winner. On Just Terms (28/1) was second on debut, with Aperoll (12/1) a head further back in third.
A scopey son of Justify, Nola Soul defeated yesterday’s Listed Windsor Castle Stakes victor King Of Cloughan in a maiden at Leopardstown last month.
Stack, enjoying his first Royal Ascot success, said: “Nola Soul is a lovely horse. We have a high opinion of him. Seamie has always loved him. He is a big strong galloper who can go fast for a long time. If he came out of the debut run alright, it was always the plan to come here. This is the place everyone wants to be.
“We were very hopeful of a good run. You just hope they show up on the day, whether you win, finish third, fourth… whatever. He is a January foal. I would say he would have no problem getting a mile and a quarter in time. I would hope he might turn up in a good race at the end of the year.”
Heffernan said: “The beauty is there’s more to come. I have plenty of experience with the Justifys, so I know exactly what they like and what they don’t like. A lot of them have an engine and, once it’s geared the right way, they’re good.
“He always showed plenty. He is by the right stallion, big stride, big heart. When they give you the class feel from day one and they keep backing it up every week when you sit on them, it is usually a good sign.
“Big thumbs up to the owner [Craig Bernick] – I think he picked him out himself, and he sent him to Fozzy with a lot of confidence. We just kept agreeing that he is above where he should be. It is brilliant.
“I owe Craig a big thank you. I would like to be busier here this week, but I am not. It is lovely to have another winner here – it means more than you know, and I am running out of time.”
Dylan Browne McMonagle said of the runner-up: “Great run. He was not the quickest away, but I just had to get him relaxed and find his feet the first half. They went a nice even gallop, which gave me a chance to get into it. He came home well and hit the line good. He is one to look forward to.”
Pat Dobbs said of Aperoll: “She over-raced a little bit for the first three furlongs. I am sure if she had settled, she probably would have won. She is not like that at home, so I do not know why she is like it at the racecourse – she just lights up a little bit.”
Her trainer Richard Hannon added: “You come to this place to see if you’ve got a good filly, and the answer to that is a yes. If you come here and finish third and you’re disappointed, then you’re not in the real world! She is a filly for next year… she will be competitive at the top level, I would say.”