Bred and owned by Khalid Abdullah and trained by Henry Cecil, Timepiece showed great promise as a juvenile in 2009 when she won two of her three races including the Montrose Stakes.

In the following year she was regarded as a leading contender for The Oaks and although she finished only eighth in the classic she recorded significant victories in the Sandringham Handicap and the James Seymour Stakes.

[2] Timepiece's dam Clepsydra showed modest ability, winning one minor race at Epsom Racecourse from six starts[3] but was a successful broodmare who produced several other winners including Passage of Time (Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud).

Three weeks later she contested a similar event on the Polytrack surface at Lingfield Park Racecourse and recorded her first victory as she led from the start and won by one and three quarter lengths from Shimmering Surf.

[5] Timepiece ended her first season with a step up in class for the Listed Montrose Stakes at Newmarket on 31 October in which she was ridden by Eddie Ahern and started 4/1 second favourite behind Marie de' Medici, a filly who had finished second in the Prix des Réservoirs.

She was made 4/7 favourite for the Lingfield Oaks Trial on 8 May, but after taking the lead three furlongs out she hung to left before being overtaken 75 yards from the finish and beaten into second by Dyna Waltz.

With Queally riding the Cecil-trained favourite Aviate, Timepiece was ridden by Ahern and finished ninth of the fourteen runners behind Snow Fairy.

After tracking the leaders Timepiece gained the advantage from Prince Siegfried approaching the final furlong and, despite hanging to the left, she drew away in the closing stages to win by three and a half lengths.

[11] Timepiece began her third season in the Middleton Stakes over ten and a half furlongs at York Racecourse in May in which she was ridden by Mongan and finished third behind Midday and Sajjhaa.

After tracking the leaders, Queally sent Timepiece into the lead in the last quarter mile and the filly held on to win by half a length from Sea of Heartbreak.

She was back in France three weeks later and started favourite for the Prix Jean Romanet but after taking the lead 400 metres she was overtaken in the closing stages and was beaten a short neck by the four-year-old Announce.

"[19] Two weeks later Timepiece made a second attempt to win the Prix Jean Romanet but finished fourth behind the subsequently disqualified Snow Fairy.