Racing
Federer ready to serve it up to rivals
Two lightly raced horses hailing from families well known to Ciaron Maher will be in the spotlight at Rosehill.
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."
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