‘She’s Just Exciting’

That’s the way trainer Alan Mathews reacted to Cool Trade’s 1 1/4-length win in the Westspeed Sprint (1200m) at Belmont Park on Saturday. Race caller Darren McAullay had just described the performance as “mighty.”

The win was the Trade Fair fillies fourth in succession this preparation and the fifth from eight career starts. She is unbeaten over 1200m and her only unplaced run came when ninth in Miss Rose De Lago’s Group 3 1600m Champion Fillies Stakes.

“We backed our judgement going in with 60kg,” said Mathews. “We thought it was tough but she had won with 59kg at her previous start and an extra 1kg would not have stopped her then.

“She’s now out of 3Y0 company but may run in a higher-rated race before going to the paddock.

“We’ll then sit down and map out a future programme.

“There’s no reason we cannot step her up in distance. She relaxes in races now. We never tried to train her for the distance heading towards the Champion Fillies Stakes. We let her see if she wanted to be there and at that stage she didn’t.

“We are racing in 1200 metre events because it’s easy for her and that’s what is around. If you have a filly that is a bit better than the opposition you can dictate where you want to be in the race. Pat Carbery’s in that position at the moment.

“But race distances could certainly be lifted in the future.”