Nine-year-old warhorse Times Ticking upstaged his younger rivals with a brilliant first-up performance in Saturday’s Marshall Batteries Open Handicap (1400m) at Riccarton.

The $50,000 feature marked the beginning of a seventh season of racing for the Tavistock gelding, who had not been seen on raceday since he ran seventh in the Easter Cup (1600m) on May 4.

Coming up against a talented line-up on a Good3 surface that might be expected to be too firm for his liking, Times Ticking was somewhat overlooked as an $11.70 sixth favourite in a field of nine.

But after Ears Back and Riviera Rebel set a red-hot pace out in front, apprentice jockey Denby-Rose Tait angled Times Ticking to the outside of the track at the top of the home straight, and the veteran launched a withering run from third-last.

In contrast to the favourite Perfect Scenario, whose momentum was interrupted by traffic trouble closer to the inside, Times Ticking bounded into contention with big, powerful strides out wide. He hit the front in the final 100m and dashed clear, beating Perfect Scenario by three-quarters of a length.

“I think that’s one of the most special wins of my career,” said Tait, who picked up another win earlier on the Riccarton card with Amiinit.

“I can’t take a whole lot of the credit. I probably wanted to be a little bit handier than where we ended up, but it was just the way the race panned out. I managed to get him to the outside in the straight, and he just let down like the great horse that he is.

“He’s beaten some quality horses first-up today. Who says age matters? He’s still got it, that’s for certain.”

Times Ticking has had 40 starts for 12 wins, six placings and $474,000 in prize-money. Those dozen victories include the Gr.3 Spring Sprint (1400m), Gr.3 Canterbury Gold Cup (2000m) and Gr.3 Trentham Stakes (2100m).

Times Ticking was trained to 11 of those wins by his co-breeder and part-owner Alby MacGregor, who decided not to renew his licence this season and has entrusted the horse to his son Dean.

“This is a huge thrill,” Dean McGregor said on Saturday. “The horse is a classy old customer and it’s great that he’s come back so well.

“Being a year older, you’re never quite sure how they’re going to come back, but he obviously still has a bit of ping in those legs.

“I would have been a lot more confident today if we’d had a bit of rain. I thought some of the others might be a bit too quick for him on firm ground. But he’s let down very well in the straight.

“Denby-Rose gave him a great ride, and her claim was a big help today too. It’s been a while since he’s carried as little as 56kg.”