He might not live up to the prodigious talent he is named after, nor the deeds of his famous dam, but the late-blooming Federer is showing enough promise to make a mark of his own.
A son of Dundeel out of trainer Ciaron Maher’s 2016 Caulfield Cup winner Jameka, the four-year-old will line up for just his fifth start in Saturday’s Asahi Super Dry Handicap (1800m) at Rosehill.
Having kicked off his career with back-to-back wins in Victoria, Federer was coming off a nine-month break when resuming with a midfield effort over 1400m at Randwick earlier this month and is expected to appreciate a distance rise this weekend.
“It was his first run for a while and even though he won over 1400 at his first start, now he is a bit older you can see his breeding coming through a bit more,” Maher’s Sydney foreman, Johann Gerard-Dubord said.
“Zac (Lloyd) got off him last start and said he just feels like he wants a trip now, so stepping up to 1800 with a run under his belt and drawn well, he will be a good chance.
“He does show us a bit at home and he has always been a talented horse. He has just taken a bit of time, but that’s the breeding.”
Maher will also saddle-up consistent mare Piggyback in the same race, while earlier in the program Spywire and Berezka go head-to-head in the TAB Handicap (1100m).
The latter is also from a family well known to the Maher stable being a full sister to The Meteorite winner Nadal and like him, Gerard-Dubord says she possess sharp acceleration on her day.
“She might not be as talented, but she’s similar to him in that she has got a good turn of foot,” he said.
“She enjoys dry tracks. First-up on a very wet track she didn’t handle it, but last start at Warwick Farm she ran very well.
“She has drawn well, she should get a dry track and the 1100 is her right trip.”
Spywire resumes in the same race having been gelded following a two-start campaign in the summer that included an appearance in The Sunlight won by budding sprint star Private Harry.
Competitive in strong company at two, Gerard-Dubord said Spywire had noticeably matured, although he expected him to take benefit from the run.
“He was doing a lot wrong as a younger horse. He used to get very keen but he is a lot more push-button now,” he said.
“He will improve on whatever he does. He is still a little bit wintery but he has got a bit of class so he is ready to run well.”