Terbium after winning hat-trick at Sandown

Trainer Phillip Stokes hopes Terbium can make the step to stakes grade after he runs at Sandown.

A rise to stakes grade is on the line for Terbium if he can continue his winning streak at Sandown.

The Phillip Stokes-trained gelding runs in Wednesday’s Le Pine Funerals Handicap (1300m) in which he will carry 59.5kg after the 2kg claim of apprentice Kayla Crowther.

Stokes said if Terbium can extend his unbeaten streak to three then the Group Three Zeditave Stakes (1200m) at Caulfield 10 days later may become a target.

A debut winner in South Australia at Strathalbyn last month, Terbium followed up with success at Pakenham.

“We’ve always thought he had nice ability,” Stokes said.

“But he’s got to this stage a little bit quicker than we thought he would.

“This is obviously another stepping stone but I’m very happy with the horse and he couldn’t have been any more impressive in what he did the other day.

“If he was to win on Wednesday and everything goes to plan we’d look at running him in the Zeditave Stakes.”

Two-year-old stablemate Really Discreet is set to make her debut in the Clanbrooke Racing Plate (1300m).

Really Discreet carries the lime green colours of breeder, and part-owner, former South Australian Jockey Club chairman David Peacock.

Stokes said he had trained a number of Peacock’s horses in recent years including the filly’s dam, Maybe Discreet who won the Group One Australasian Oaks in 2013.

The trainer said with stagnant prize money in South Australia, Peacock wants his horses trained in Victoria.

Stokes expects Really Discreet to get over ground and thinks the 1300m is an ideal starting point.

“I expect her to be running on but she will also gain a lot of experience from the run,” he said.

Both will be ridden by Crowther who has also joined Stokes at his new Pakenham stables.

“She goes back to Adelaide on the weekend because it’s quite hard for apprentices to gets rides, but she’s riding here during the week,” Stokes said.

“She’s going well and I’ve got no hesitation putting her on.

“She’s got good hands and knows the horses as well.”