Two weeks later at Gowran Park, the colt was dropped in class to contest a maiden race and recorded his first victory with a seven-lengthwin from fifteen opponents.

He started the 5/2 joint-favourite and won by three-quarters of a length from the Richard Hannon Sr.-trained Montiridge, with the other beaten horses including Eye of the Storm, Glory Awaits, and Galileo Rock.

On his three-year-old debut, Trading Leather ran his third consecutive race in Britain when he contested the Dante Stakes over 10+1⁄2 furlongs at York Racecourse in May.

Trading Leather missed the Epsom Derby and was dropped to Listed class for the Silver Stake over ten furlongs at the Curragh.

"[5] On 27 July, Trading Leather was sent to the United Kingdom to contest the country's most prestigious weight-for-age race, the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes, over 1+1⁄2 miles at Ascot Racecourse.

Trading Leather and Hillstart met again at York Racecourse in August for the International Stakes, which also attracted Al Kazeem, Toronado, and Declaration of War.

Before the start of the 2014 season, Trading Leather was sold to Sheikh Mohammed's Godolphin Racing but remained in training with Jim Bolger.

Restrained by Manning in the early stages, he made progress in the last quarter mile without ever looking likely to win and finished third behind Gospel Choir and Pether's Moon.

On 26 July, he started at odds of 8/1 for Britain's most prestigious weight-for-age race the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes and finished fifth of the eight runners, eleven lengths behind the winner Taghrooda.