The Trade Fair four-year-old surged clear to score by 3/4-length in 1.11.06, 0.16sec. faster than crack mare Magnifisio had recorded earlier winning the Group 3 weight-for-age Roma Cup with 2.5kg less, and gain the fourth win from his past five starts.
But the sheer merit of the performance was lost in emotion. It was Trading Day’s first run since the sudden death of his trainer John Wilson sen. (78), the former champion WA and Singapore jockey.
Trading Day, a $10,000 yearling purchase who has returned $162,825, is raced by Wilson’s wife, Lurline, and Wes White, brother of winning jockey Willie White and the son of former leading Sydney apprentice Frankie White, who rode against Wilson in Singapore.
“We discussed the Hannans with Dad,” said Wilson’s son, Warren. “We were very keen to try and win the race because Dad was from Kalgoorlie it was one of the few WA features he had not won as a jockey.
“We had tentatively decided to wait and see how he performed first-up before making plans. But it was as if the horse knew that he had to win for Dad.”
John Wilson shifted from Kalgoorlie as a 17-year-old to become apprentice to Reg Harper, his eventual wife’s step-father.
Trading Day, a strapping 16.2hh and 560kg nick-named ‘Lou’, is likely to have only a few more runs before being freshened and prepared for the Hannans Handicap.