Triple Time returns to the track with a Group win

The three-year-old son of Frankel ran home a handy winner of the Gr.3 Superior Mile Stakes at Haydock after a year off the track.

Taken from the Thoroughbred Daily News, 4th September 2022, by Heather Anderson:

Taking all of the money in a scratched-down field of four, Triple Time did not let his backers down and ran home the winner of the G3 Superior Mile Stakes at Haydock on Saturday. It was the first start of the year for the Sheikh Mohammed Obaid Al Maktoum homebred after he suffered a setback training up to the Gr.1 2000 Guineas in April.

A winner of a Haydock novice last August and the Listed Ascendant Stakes one day shy of a year ago Saturday, the Kevin Ryan runner was slowly away and raced last of the quartet as Marie's Diamond cut out the running over the good to firm course. With a half-mile remaining, the latter was still on top, but Andrea Atzeni had the 13-8 favourite going through his gears and he began his bid in earnest, as Perotto took over from the frontrunner inside the final quarter mile. In front at the furlong pole, Triple Time fended off a late rally by Tacarib
Bay to win by one and a quarter lengths for a new career high.

Ryan said of his one-time Guineas hope: "This is a very good horse, he's special. I was devastated when he had a setback before the Guineas, I thought he had a real chance. You can see he's a big horse and he got very heavy and this was a bit quick on him. I'd have loved to have had another fortnight and another gallop in the end but he's obviously very fresh and keen. They don't usually win races when they're doing that, he's a big talent."

He added: "He's typical of a top-class horse, he's got an abundance of natural speed and you could probably run him over six furlongs. He'll probably end up getting 10 furlongs as he relaxes in his races, he was probably just a bit exuberant today. We=re already thinking about next year, that's the thing with Sheikh Mohammed Obaid, he starts to plan and it didn't faze him at all [after the setback], he was always thinking about next year and he gave him as much time as he wanted. It's great to get him back."