He'll eagerly await to see whether Devine Miss will survive the ballot for the Highway Handicap (1100 metres) at Rosehill in two weeks' time.

That's the next target after she produced a withering turn of foot to win The Federal (1000m) at Canberra's Thoroughbred Park on Friday.

She flew home to win by about half a length after giving up almost five lengths to eventual runner-up Distillate at the top of the straight.

The Luke Pepper-trained Affinity Beyond was another half length further back in third.

Gardner will now aim Devine Miss towards the Highway in Sydney in a fortnight.

But with Canberra horses the first to be balloted out of Racing NSW's Highway series, whether the three-year-old filly gets there or not is another thing.

She was an emergency for the Highway at Rosehill on Saturday, but Gardner opted to scratch her and race in Canberra instead after drawing barrier 15.

Now he just has to hope she makes the cut in a fortnight's time.

"She'll go to the Highway in two weeks ... hopefully. Because unfortunately coming from Canberra we're always the first balloted out you're not guaranteed a run. But that'll be the plan," Gardner said.

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Jockey Alysha Collett followed the instructions to perfection as she formed the arrowhead of an all-female-jockey top six.

But Gardner admitted he thought third would be the best possible result at the top of the straight.

"I thought it was an enormous win. Even though she began well she can't muster speed very quickly and I knew we were going to be back where we were," Gardner said.

"I must admit at the 200m I thought the best we can do here is run third because there was a couple of really nice horses out in front of her and natural leaders.

"But it was a tremendous effort to run them down. Tremendous."