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By Ray Hickson

It’s been a later return to the track for promising galloper Federer than planned at Randwick on Saturday so the Ciaron Maher stable is banking on his quality shining through.

Johann Gerard-Dubord (Pic: Bradley Photos)

Maher’s assistant trainer Johann Gerard-Dubord revealed Federer had a run-in with a fence when early in his preparation and while no real harm was done to his back leg in the incident it constituted a delay.

So Federer, a winner of two of his three starts, could be a shade vulnerable in the Asahi Super Dry Handicap (1400m).

“He can be a fresh kind of horse and when he started back in work he got loose and cut his leg so he’s had a bit longer off than needed,’’ Gerard-Dubord said.

“He’s had a good base, he started the prep at the beach at Bob’s Farm to give him a good grounding.

“We gave him an easy time in his first trial but in his second trial we asked a bit more of him.

“Ciaron always had a big opinion of him and the horse was always bred to get better with time.”

Federer, $3.70 with TAB on Friday, is out of Maher’s former star mare Jameka and he forged a huge reputation with two runaway wins in August before he failed as a $1.55 shot at Caulfield in late September.

Gerard-Dubord said Saturday’s race is very much a starting point and he hopes the gelding handles the heavy at Randwick better than he did in his second in a Warwick Farm trial on a day where the track was chopping up.

“Jason (Collett) didn’t think he loved the track on that day but he’s still managed to trial well,’’ he said.

“He’s still coming on, still a bit wintry in his coat but he will improve on whatever he does.

“In his two wins he rated well, it’s stronger grade first-up and he hasn’t raced for a while. There are a couple of negatives there and he will improve but hopefully his class is enough to get over it.”

Import Royal Supremacy failed to beat a horse home at his Australian debut in last month’s Scone Cup but Gerard-Dubord said under the circumstances he couldn’t have been much happier.

The four-year-old was beaten just under six lengths by Tavi Time but was unable to wind up in restricted room in the straight so a sharp improvement in the Sydney Roosters Partners Handicap (1600m) won’t surprise the stable.

“It’s not often you finish last and you’re happy with the run,’’ Gerard-Dubord said.

“I thought it was a very good run, he had no luck but it did look like he had a lot to offer.

“He’s a fresh kind of horse and he can do a bit wrong. He was keen in his run the first run back for a while and with a bit of clear room late you would think he would be strong through the line.”

Prior to arriving down under, Royal Supremacy was placed in three successive Group races including a second in the Italian Derby and a third in the King Edward VII at Ascot.

“He will improve and hopefully now he has had that run he won’t be as fresh, he is a highly energetic horse, then after that we can step him up in trip,’’ he said.

“I would have loved to draw a bit softer but if he can get a bit of luck early he is good enough to win a race like that and there’s a lot more in store.”

Federer runs second in a Warwick Farm trial on May 26

Johann Gerard-Dubord on Piggyback (race 3): “It was a bit of a surprise win (first-up), she’s always been very casual in everything she does. Last prep she probably didn’t come up and we put her away with the idea to have her for the winter because she loves wet tracks. We thought she was going well and she looked good condition wise but we were expecting her to run well and improve from it. So it was a bonus win. She finds a wet track again and stepping up to a mile suits. Hopefully she is one that can keep improving.”

On Negotiations (race 10): “He was first time in blinkers in the trial and I thought that was the first time he actually trialled well. It was a forget run first-up with cardiac arrhythmia. Zac Lloyd jumped off him and said he wanted to ride him wherever he was going so that gives him a bit of confidence. He gets through the wet no issues.”

All the fields, form and replays for Saturday’s Randwick meeting