The Lindsay Park team have always had designs on winning a stakes race with Justify (USA) four year-old Ndola and he delivered on potential at Flemington on Saturday when taking out the $175,000 Listed VRC Santa Ana Series Final (1200m).
First up from a spell, Ndola was fresh and ready to fire, leading all the way for Jye McNeil to fight off all challengers and win by a long neck.
Ndola has built a tidy record as a winner at two, three and four with his overall tally standing at seven wins and seven placings from 18 starts with prizemoney topping $660,000.
“He’s been very straight forward and it’s such a thrill to get a winner here at Flemington in the Devitt and Gordon colours as they have been such good supporters of the stable for a very long time,” said co-trainer Will Hayes.
“He’s gone from strength to strength and has improved again off his last preparation and to sprint so well fresh he’s in for another good preparation.
“He enjoyed a nice break in the paddock and time has been his friend. He’s built up nicely and with time and maturity has gone to another level.”
Ndola is a homebred for Peter Devitt and partners as was his mother the Group III winning sprinter Hear the Chant, sired by another Devitt and partners homebred in Nicconi.
Hear the Chant has made a great start to her stud career with her first three foals to race all being winners and Ndola is the second stakes-winner joining Herecomesthestar. She has two fillies to follow by Shamus Award and has a yearling colt by Blue Point (IRE).
Hear the Chant missed in 2024, but was back at Coolmore again last spring to visit Home Affairs and will foal to the Champion First Season Sire elect in the spring.
Ndola is the 63rd stakes-winner for US Triple Crown hero Justify, who has two sons on the Coolmore roster this spring with 2024 European Horse of the Year City of Troy (USA) priced at $49,500, while brilliant Group winning juvenile Storm Boy stands for $16,500.
