Until the running of Saturday's Group III Zeditave Stakes at Caulfield, you can be forgiven if you have never heard of the stallion Terango.
After all, he had just two runners from his first crop of four live foals and one is a 14-start maiden while the other finished last at his only two starts at Emerald and Toowoomba.
Then from out of nowhere,
He is the Phillip Stokes-trained Terbium who kept his record at perfect four for four with a rousing performance in the Zeditave Stakes.
Ridden by John Allen, Terbium ambled around three wide in the five-horse field and when just about everybody was expecting the million dollar stallion prospect Zousain to towel him up in the closing stages, Terbium kept increasing his margin. (images Grant Courtney)
Conceding the winner 2 kilograms, the odds-on favourite Zousain could get no closer than one and three-quarter lengths with Yulong January (King Of Prussia) the same distance back in third place.
Terbium is
Brook also raced Terbium's sire Terango who now stands at Greg Lesnikowski's Strathwood Park where Terbium was reared and educated.
The dam of Terbium, Serene Lass, was purchased by Nathan Tinkler's father Les for $13,000 as a yearling at the 2008 Magic Millions.
Her 5-start career on the track did not make pretty reading, 8/11 at Taree, 8/14 at Port Macquarie, 11/13 at Grafton, 7/13 at Port Macquarie and 7/12 at Taree.
Little wonder the daughter of Not A Single Doubt could elicit a bid of no higher than $2,000 from Adrian Hancock Quality Bloodstock at the Patinack dispersal in 2012.
It was quite a downfall for the revered Newhaven Park family of With Respect that once ruled the leader board at the Newmarket sales ring.
After foals by Teranaba and Monaco Consul, Serene Lass visited Terango for five consecutive seasons before she had a date last spring with Arrowfield's high-flying young stallion Dundeel.
Brooks raced and Stokes trained Serene Lass' Monaco Consul filly named Gracena who had her share of ability winning 5 and placing in 4 of her 15 starts., which included a win at Morphettville.
So Phillip Stokes had good reason to value his association with the Brook family and Terbium.
"He showed a bit from day one but you don't get ahead of yourself," Stokes told racing.com. "It's a big thrill to win a race like this for the Brook family, which have been big supporters of ours.
"We were sort of hoping we could run a nice second.
"Johnny (Allen) came down and galloped him on Wednesday and we were very happy with his work. He's a super horse to do anything with.
"He'll be going up to the farm and having a rest. He's done an amazing job."
Back to Terango who has three foals in 2015, two in 2016 and just one in 2017 before covering three mares last5 spring.
A son of the Danehill stallion Akhadan, Terango was a smart enough racehorse in South Australia where he won 7 and placed in 12 of his 46 starts. He raced on until a 6yo and placed three times at stakes level but never earned that all-important black-type win to make
His fee has been listed as on application in his six seasons to date but with Terbium flying the flag, breeders will be paying closer attention.
