Looking Back 50) Terao

 
                          Terao

Terao was a Cheltenham Festival winner for Pond House who won nine races carrying the red and green colours of owner Brian Kilpatrick.  He was a 1986 born bay gelding by Furry Glen and his dam was called Bodyline.  Bred by Jeremy Maxwell in Ireland for Mr Kilpatrick’s; he arrived at Pond House in July 1990 as an unraced four year old.

He made a winning racecourse debut at Uttoxeter in April 1991.  He was the very impressive winner of a bumper, by 12 lengths with Martin Foster claiming seven pounds in the saddle.  The funny story associated with this horse is that before he ever ran, MCP told Mr Kilpatrick that he was very slow.  Many times Mr Kilpatrick questioned MCP about him and he felt that MCP did not like his horse; MCP reinforced time and again this was not the case, merely highlighting the fact that he was a 17hh big baby that really was very slow but he would run him in a bumper and see!  He then went and bolted up on his debut – horses do make fools of you sometimes!

The following January he started out his hurdles career with a third placing at Folkestone beaten twenty lengths.  The interesting fact from this day is that the winner of the race was Dublin Flyer at 33/1.  You may remember he went on to be a very good horse with Brendan Powell riding but he obviously wasn’t fancied that day!

Terao went on to win his next two races, novice hurdles at Leicester and Uttoxeter with Peter Scudamore on board. The following season he was sent novice chasing and it is probably fair to say he was somewhat disappointing. He pulled up on heavy ground on his first outing at Uttoxeter, unseated at the first fence next time at Newton Abbot before falling at Kempton when going well and then finishing nearer last than first on his final outing at Newbury.

After a summer break he was not much better on his return the following season to start with.  He pulled up on his first run back and then fell at Ascot after this.  Things started to improve again from March 1995.  He finished second in a novice chase at Folkestone before getting his first win over fences at Exeter and then finishing that season with a third at Newton Abbot.

It was not until the 1995/96 season that we really started to see the best of him.  His form was a bit in and out and his form figures read P1P11P but this was because he suffered from a few ailments that meant he was not always able to show his best as his rating started to climb.  His wins came at Lingfield, Newton Abbot and Newbury and David Bridgwater was in the saddle all three times.  His final pulled up of that season was in the Midlmay of Flete handicap chase at the 1996 Cheltenham Festival.

The following season he also found it a little difficult to find his form but he improved to finish second at Haydock in February 1997 before he headed back to the Cheltenham Festival for the Mildmay of Flete handicap chase once again.  Timmy Murphy was on board and he was sent off at odds of 20/1.  He looked beaten four out but stayed on gamely to lead at the last and he ran on well up the hill to beat All the Aces by 1¼ lengths.  He finished that season with another win at Newbury.

His win at Newbury proved to be the final one of his career.  He returned the following season and although placed he found things tough off of his high rating.  He returned to the Festival to try and defend his Mildmay of Flete crown but could only finish fifth on this occasion.  He has two more runs after this before he was retired.

All of Mr Kilpatrick’s horses retired to one of his family friends, Mrs Robarts.  He enjoyed his years there before passing away in 2006 at the age of 20.  He won nine races from 34 career starts and was placed seven times as well.  Rated 157 at best he won over £68,000 in prize money.

Watch the end of his 1997 Cheltenham Festival win here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t2hA2dba6O4