Warrnambool trainer Ciaron Maher says eight-year-old Geeorb is a better horse than a year a year ago when he emerged as one of Victoria's top jumpers.The Encosta De Lago gelding made his jumps debut for the season when leading all the way in Saturday's St Steven Steeplechase (3200m) at Moonee Valley and Maher is hopeful that the best is still ahead of him.Ridden by Steven Pateman, Geeorb made the occasional sticky jump but always had his rivals covered and raced home to a 2-1/2 length win over S

Warrnambool trainer Ciaron Maher says eight-year-old Geeorb is a better horse than a year a year ago when he emerged as one of Victoria's top jumpers.

The Encosta De Lago gelding made his jumps debut for the season when leading all the way in Saturday's St Steven Steeplechase (3200m) at Moonee Valley and Maher is hopeful that the best is still ahead of him.

Ridden by Steven Pateman, Geeorb made the occasional sticky jump but always had his rivals covered and raced home to a 2-1/2 length win over Stop The Traffic with Frenzilian three lengths away third.

New Zealander Spirit Of Alaton was fourth and the enigmatic Danever made up ground from an impossible position to finish fifth.

Geeorb last season won the Crisp Steeplechase at Flemington but Maher said the gelding had improved this year.

Last year Maher became the horse's fourth trainer after David Brideoake, Paul Preusker and Terry and Katrina O'Sullivan, and he admitted it took a while to learn about him.

"Last year was my first year with him and I was working him out but this year but I reckon I know a bit more about him now and he is going a bit better," Maher said.

"When he came to me he had already been taught to jump over hurdles but when I trialled him over hurdles he didn't respect them enough at that stage so I switched him straight to steeples and he has never looked back."

Maher said Geeorb was the perfect type for jumping with his size and his racing style.

"He is a bold frontrunner and jumps well and handles the heavy going," Maher said.

He said that there was much more improvement to come from Geeorb in the coming weeks leading up to other Moonee Valley features, the Ian Macdonald Steeplechase on July 11 and the Hiskens Steeplechase on July 25.

"I have been pretty soft on him between his trials and from his last trial to today," Maher said.

He said the new race programming was ideal and that the Hiskens would allow to him have another crack at the Crisp Steeplechase at Sandown on August 16 before the Grand National at Sandown on August 30.

Wheel The Lead was the only horse to fall in the St Steven and horse and rider escaped injury.

Last week Wheel The Lead also fell in the Australian Steeplechase and he is sure to draw the attention of the Jumps Panel.