Triple Time (13-8 favourite) got his career back on track with an impressive win in the Group Three Best Odds On The Betfair Exchange Superior Mile Stakes at Haydock Park on Saturday.
The Queen's Reach For The Moon had been the morning favourite but was taken out of the race early in the afternoon. So it left Kevin Ryan's previous course and distance winner Triple Time to land the spoils in good style under Andrea Atzeni.
The three-year-old son of Frankel had been an exciting juvenile judged on two wins at Haydock last season, but injury ruled him out of the 2,000 Guineas much to the frustration of Ryan. But connections bided their time and he returned to action to land the Group Three at Haydock, coming through to score by a length-and-a-quarter from Perotto (11-2).
Ryan was pleased and relieved to see his rising star back on track. And he is looking forward to all the top Group One contests over a mile at the likes of Royal Ascot and Glorious Goodwood next season.
For now connections will weigh up options for the rest of the season, but he looks an exciting miling prospect.
Ryan, whose best previous horse was probably The Great Gatsby, said: "The Great Gatsby was a Group One winner, so he was obviously a very good horse. But this is a very, very good horse. He is a special talent. I was very frustrated when he went wrong before the Guineas. I thought we had a real chance. He went twice at Newmarket and did a great piece of work. But he came back with a bit of lameness. He had a tiny stress fracture that was hard to find.
"We have given him loads of time. As you can see he is big horse and got very heavy on us. This has come a bit quick on us. I would love to have had another fortnight and another gallop. But he is obviously a very special talent.
"Things didn't go well from the gate, he ran a bit keen. But fortunately he has talent. It is typical of a top-class horse. He has got bundles of natural speed. You could probably run him over six furlongs. But he will probably get 10 furlongs when he relaxes in races. I think he was probably too fresh. He is quite an exhuberant sort of horse, in a nice way. He is a easy horse to train, but he is a heavy horse. That had go the freshness out of him."
He added: "We are thinking about next year. (Owner) Sheikh Mohamed Obaid, it didn't faze him at all. When we had that problem, we gave him time. So it is great to get him back.
"I think he is versatile as regards ground. He is a lightly-raced horse and I wouldn't mind running him on soft ground or on quick ground.
"The Group Two race (Prix Daniel Wildenstein) on Arc weekend could be possible but I will have to speak to Sheikh Mohammed Obaid and see how the horse is."
Charlie Appleby’s Naval Power (1-3 favourite) stylishly maintained his unbeaten record, under Liverpool FC fan William Buick, in the opener on Merseyside, the Listed Betfair Daily Tips On Betting.Betfair Ascendant Stakes.
The Teofilo colt made it four wins from four starts and looks a real Classic prospect for next season. He is set to head to the Royal Lodge Stakes later this month and then likely to be saved until next season.
Naval Power is now around an 8-1 chance for next year's QIPCO 2,000 Guineas and 16-1 for the Cazoo Derby with Boylesports and Unibet.
The Godolphin juvenile followed up successes at Yarmouth and Leicester, with a length-and-a-quarter victory over Dancing Magic (14-1) in a seven-furlong Listed event at Ascot in July. And he was also impressive on Merseyside.
Lion Of War made the running with Naval Power on the rail in third for much of the race. But when the leader faded, Buick moved his partner through to challenge and he went on to land a smooth success.
Trainer Appleby said: "Another good learning day for him really. Will got him into a nice box seat and he's had to fight for his gap. He prevailed in the end. He had a penalty but he brought experience into the race. The one thing I was confident he was going to do was see it out well. And once the gap appeared his stamina came in and it kicked in at the right time.
"The plan, if all had gone well today which thankfully it has, was to head to the Royal Lodge. The Racing Post (Vertem) Trophy would be thought about but he needs a sound surface. So it will be the Royal Lodge and if he is lucky to win that or run well in that we would put him away for the year. Then see where we are then.
"On pedigree he should be able to stretch out to a mile-and-a-quarter and hopefully beyond. For a horse with that pedigree he has got a lot of natrual pace. We have seen that. He was impressive at Ascot over the seven, winning very well. And today it was different circumstances and I thought he showed great courage and a bit of class."
Inverness (6-1) came through to land victory in the Betfair Handicap under Kieran Shoemark.
The Charlie Hills-trained three-year-old just got up to beat Irish raider Irish Lullaby (7-1) and Frankie Dettori by a neck. The front-running Pons Aelius (12-1) stayed on to be a length away in third, just holding off the 11-2 favourite Tamila by a nose.
Winning jockey Shoemark said: "I have ridden him a few times of late. He had got into trouble before. I didn't think he enjoyed being in the hustle of bustle of things, so I was a little bit aggressive on him today from the gates.
"He stayed on late (in the Melrose Handicap at York) but he was lugging away. It was all a little bit awkward.
"He will be a lovely horse next year. We had no excuses today, we sat second and he was able to lengthen. He has plenty of room around hima and he enjoyed that. Then we had the rail on the inside. But it was a very genuine performance.
"He is babyish and next year I think you will see the best of him. He is going to be a fun sort of stayer to go to war with next year."
