Trading Leather

It was difficult not to be impressed with the manner in which Trading Leather came clear of his field in the one-mile juvenile maiden at Gowran Park on Sunday.

You could argue that the form of the race that Jim Bolger’s colt won does not look that strong at first glance, with the John Oxx-trainer pair Shadagann and Qewy – seventh and 13th respectively on their racecourse debuts in Mooqtar’s maiden at Leopardstown on Champion Stakes day – filling the minor places, but we know how much the Oxx juveniles can improve from their racecourse debuts, especially when stepping up in trip, as they were, and the Aidan O’Brien-trained Kingdom, who finished fifth, and who had shaped with bundles of promise when he finished third in a Galway maiden two weeks previously, may provide a better barometer of the quality of this maiden.

The winning time was really good, the fastest comparative flat race run on the day, faster even than the Group 3 fillies’ contest won by Aloof, despite the fact that it was the only juvenile race on the card. Anyway, sometimes you have to just trust your eyes, and this performance was visually impressive in every way.

Trading Leather is entered in both the Dewhurst and the Racing Post Trophy, and he would be well worth his place in either of those races although, with his stable companion Dawn Approach on track for the former, the latter may be the race for him. Even though his dam is from the family of milers and seven-furlong horses and 1000 Guineas winner Hatoof, she is out of Derby and Arc winner Sinndar, and Trading Leather races as if he will get further than a mile. The Racing Post Trophy is usually a juveniles’ pointer to three-year-old middle distance races, and it wouldn’t be a surprise if that is the path that the son of Teofilo treads.

© The Irish Field, 29th September 2012

23rd September 2012