By Heather Anderson
Taking all of the money in this scratched-down field of four, Triple Time (Ire) (Frankel {GB}–Reem Three {GB}, by Mark Of Esteem {Ire}) did not let his backers down and ran home a handy winner of the G3 Best Odds On The Betfair Exchange Superior Mile S. at Haydock on Saturday. It was the first start of the year for the Sheikh Mohammed Obaid Al Maktoum homebred after he suffered an injury training up to the G1 QIPCO 2000 Guineas in April.
A winner of a Haydock novice last August and the Listed Betfair Exchange Ascendant S. 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 (Ire) (Footstepsinthesand {GB}) 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 (GB) (New Bay {GB}) 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 (GB) (Night Of Thunder {Ire}) to win by 1 1/4 lengths for a new career high. Marie's Diamond was a half-length back in third, a short head in front of Perotto in fourth.
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. He'd actually done a great piece of work at Newmarket and came back with a bit of lameness. He had a little tiny stress fracture so we gave him lots of time.
“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'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.
“I think he could be very versatile as far as the ground is concerned, he's a very lightly-raced horse and I wouldn't mind running him on soft ground or quick ground. I'll have to discuss all of our options and we'll make a plan.”
Andrea Atzeni told ITV Racing, “That was very impressive really as he hadn't run since this meeting last year. We thought he was going to be a Guineas horse but he picked up an injury and that's why he has been off for so long.
“He has won on this ground before but would probably appreciate a bit more juice. He's a big-striding horse and when I let him down he picked up. He should come on for the race and is a nice horse. Having not run for a year, it was all about today and finding out if he still had it. It was a great training performance by Kevin and all the team to get the horse back here in top shape.”
Pedigree Notes
The 72nd group winner for his sire, Triple Time's stakes-placed dam Reem Three enjoyed a busy day at the races with her progeny. Her juvenile Lope De Vega (Ire) colt, Captain Winters (GB), finished third in the aforementioned Listed Ascendant S. that Triple Time won in 2021. A little later on Saturday, the duo's 4-year-old half-brother Third Realm (GB) (Sea The Stars {Ire}), a dual listed winner and third in the G3 Gordon S., ran sixth in Kempton's G3 Unibet September S. Besides that trio, Reem Three also has G1 Prix Jean Romanet heroine Ajman Princess (Ire) (Teofilo {Ire}), the G3 Bengough S. victor Cape Byron (GB) (Shamardal), Ostilio (GB) (New Approach {Ire}), successful in the G2 Prix Daniel Wildenstein, and the G1 Prix Saint Alary third Imperial Charm (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) to her credit. Her latest foals are a pair of fillies born in 2021 and 2022 by Kingman (GB) and Night Of Thunder, respectively.
Reem Three's half-brother Afsare (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) won the G2 Celebration Mile, as well as the G3 Sovereign S. and was runner-up in both the GI Arlington Million and the G1 Premio Presidente della Repubblica. Under the G1 French Oaks-winning fourth dam Dunette (Fr) (Hard to Beat {Ire}) is the GI Rothmans International H. victor French Glory (Ire) (Sadler's Wells).
“He returns with a vengeance!”
Triple Time was last seen winning the Ascendant Stakes @haydockraces 364 days ago and makes a stunning comeback in the @Betfair-sponsored Superior Mile for @kevinryanracing and @Atzenijockey 👏 pic.twitter.com/bOvwxvDUh9
— Racing TV (@RacingTV) September 3, 2022
Saturday, Haydock
BEST ODDS ON THE BETFAIR EXCHANGE SUPERIOR MILE S.-G3, £80,000, Haydock, 9-3, 3yo/up, 8f 37yT, 1:40.78, g/f.
1–TRIPLE TIME (IRE), 126, c, 3, by Frankel (GB)
1st Dam: Reem Three (GB) (SP-Eng),
by Mark of Esteem (Ire)
2nd Dam: Jumaireyah (GB), by Fairy King
3rd Dam: Donya (Ire), by Mill Reef
1ST GRADED STAKES WIN. O-Sheikh Mohammed Obaid Al
Maktoum; B-Sheikh Mohammed Obaid Al Maktoum (IRE);
T-Kevin A. Ryan; J-Andrea Atzeni. £45,368. Lifetime Record:
5-3-1-1, $96,511. Werk Nick Rating: A+++. *Triple Plus*. Click
for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. Click for the
free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Tacarib Bay (GB), 126, c, 3, Night of Thunder (Ire)–Bassmah
(GB), by Harbour Watch (Ire). O-Mr J. R. Shannon; B-J. R.
Shannon (GB); T-Richard M. Hannon. £17,200.
3–Marie's Diamond (Ire), 131, h, 6, Footstepsinthesand (GB)–
Sindiyma (Ire), by Kalanisi (Ire). (€35,000 Ylg '17 TIRSEP;
£675,000 RNA 2yo '18 GOFGW; 65,000gns 5yo '21 TATAHI).
O-The Wolf Pack & Partner; B-Mr Tony Ashley (IRE); T-R Fell.
£8,608.
Margins: 1 1/4, HF, NO. Odds: 1.62, 2.00, 3.50.
Also Ran: Perotto (GB). VIDEO.
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