Federal (right) beats stablemate Good Heavens © Photo Healy Racing
A small-field conditions event run at Cork last month proved to be the key piece of form in the Paddy Power Supporting Cancer Trials Ireland Irish Cambridgeshire. Good Heavens had beaten long-absent stablemate Federal in that four-runner contest but it was the latter, with an 8lb turnaround at the weights, that prevailed on this occasion.
In the colours of the Lloyd J Williams Syndicate, Federal travelled notably well in mid-division and picked up well for Mikey Sheehy in the final furlong to catch Good Heavens close home. A neck was the margin of victory. Ado Mc Guinness ran six and had the third and fourth, Star Harbour and Pierre Lapin
Sheehy has lost his 3lb claim following this high-profile success.
It was only a fourth start, and first in a handicap, for the Zoffany gelding.
Joseph O’Brien, “Mikey gave him a great ride.
“He’d been off the track for a long time and ran well the last day. He was a talented enough two-year-old but had a bit of trouble with his feet and that’s why he was off for so long.
"He was due to go to Australia but lucky for us he didn't.
“The owners' patience has been rewarded and a lot of people put in a lot of work to get him here.
“I ran him on soft ground here as a three-year-old and shouldn’t have run him that day. He ran well in Cork after being off for ages and we said that we’d give him a shot here with the prize money on offer.
“He looks a Stakes horse in the making.”
Quotes from Alan Magee
