Memorable win for McMullan with pacing-bred trotter

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She’s So Cool’s win at Addington on Friday night for driver Paul Court meant a lot to trainer Simon McMullan. Photo: Race Images.

She’s So Cool produced a memorable win for trainer Simon McMullan at Addington on Friday night.

The three-year-old broke her maiden at start two with Paul Court in the sulky.

McMullen said the victory was a special one because She’s So Cool was the first horse he started training when he moved to Canterbury in 2017.

The rookie trained moved south from Auckland to be near his late father, Barry, who was battling illness at the time.

“She was the first horse I had after I moved home when my old man got crook.”

“She was the first horse I had in my own name and she kicked it all off.”

She’s So Cool showed she had a few things to learn about the racing game when galloping out of her debut at Ashburton last month.

With Ricky May in Auckland and unable to drive the filly, McMullan was keen to book someone who knew the horse well to replace him.

He turned to his employer, Paul Court, who continued the reigniting of his driving career this season with the filly.

“She can be a little bit funny and you are better off with someone with knows her.”

“Because I train at Paul’s place I can have him on her in track-work at home.”

“Ricky would have driven her if he wasn’t up north, but I just thought it was better to have someone on her that knew her.”

She’s So Cool can be excused for not having a flawless trotting gait as she is bred to pace.

The Well Said filly, from Real Desire mare, She’s Cool, was tried as a pacer and had one workout as a two-year-old before she was tried as a trotter.

“She has got the motor, but she just needs to learn about what it is all about at the start.”

“But, being pacing-bred, it is obviously going to take a little bit of time.”

“I think she will come to it.”

There are a host of feature races coming up for three-year-old trotting fillies.

McMullan said he was unlikely to race She’s So Cool in next week’s Southland Trotting Oaks or the upcoming New Zealand Trotting Oaks.

However, he did not rule out testing his filly against her own age and sex in the future.

“I will probably give her two or three weeks off now, she has done a great job this time in.”

Cheerful showed she was on track for her tilt at the New Zealand Trotting Oaks when winning Friday night’s feature, the Sires Stakes Classique.

She’s So Cool’s victory was McMullan’s fifth from just 30 starters in his first full season of training.

“Paul and Graham Court have been amazing and without them I probably wouldn’t have got the start I have had.”

Paul Court has a busy weekend with starters at Alexandra Park on Friday and at Ascot Park and Addington on Sunday.

He also has Hail Christian starting in a minor event on Miracle Mile night at Menangle on Saturday.

Rule technicalities meant the pacer was denied a start in one of the group 1 Bohemia Crystal Free-For-All after he was snubbed for Miracle Mile selection.

Paul Court won his second race of the season as a driver with She’s So Cool at Addington on Friday Night. Photo: Race Images.

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