Trainer Fran Houlahan believes Yalumba Hurdle winner Pentiffic is right back on track for Saturday's Australian Hurdle after a setback at Oakbank at Easter.The Pentire five-year-old was runner-up to July in a hurdle over 2900m at Oakbank on April 11 and backed up two days later to score an eight-length win in the Yalumba Hurdle (3600m) beating Last Shogun, Yamanaura and July.However he knocked a leg in that victory and had to be eased up and missed the Galleywood Hurdle at Warrnambool.Although H

Trainer Fran Houlahan believes Yalumba Hurdle winner Pentiffic is right back on track for Saturday's Australian Hurdle after a setback at Oakbank at Easter.

The Pentire five-year-old was runner-up to July in a hurdle over 2900m at Oakbank on April 11 and backed up two days later to score an eight-length win in the Yalumba Hurdle (3600m) beating Last Shogun, Yamanaura and July.

However he knocked a leg in that victory and had to be eased up and missed the Galleywood Hurdle at Warrnambool.

Although Houlahan thought he was a run short after a seven-week break, he still managed a solid third under 69kg behind Saturday's rivals Yamanaura and Juan Carlos in the Winterset Hurdle (3300m) at Sandown on June 3.

Pentiffic, beaten only 1-1/4 lengths in that race, meets Yamanaura 4kg better and Juan Carlos 5kg better on this occasion.

"He won a hurdle trial at Cranbourne and then ran very well at Sandown and is very fit," said Houlahan who co-trains the gelding with her partner Brian Johnston.

"He's a lovely staying type of horse and he handles wet ground very well.

"He had a complete disinterest in racing on the flat for a fair while but he enjoys his jumping."

Houlahan is after her second Australian Hurdle victory having won the race with River D'Or in 1984, while her late father Jim Houlahan won the event a record seven times.

Craig Durden, who rode the gelding last start, is relying on Pentiffic to give him his fourth win in the 3400m feature having won it aboard Moon Chase (1998), Marlborough (1999) and Classic Prince (2001).

Pentiffic shares favouritism at $4.20 with Galleywood Hurdle winner Desert Master in the TAB Sportsbet market ahead of Juan Carlos at $4.60, Marc Of Thunder ($4.80), Jack Dow Memorial Hurdle winner Hooker Road ($5) and Yamanaura at $5.50.

The Houlahan-Johnston stable will also saddle up superior wet tracker Trustus in Saturday's Samson Hcp (1400m).

The Bertolini three-year-old is unbeaten in two heavy track starts, over 1400m at Sandown at his debut in July last year and four starts back over 1200m at Yarra Valley in late April.

The gelding has been placed in all three of his runs since that win, at Flemington (twice) and at Caulfield on good tracks.

Last Saturday he ran a solid third behind Glam Slam and Gold In Dubai in the AR Creswick Stakes (1200m) at Flemington.

"He goes very well on the dry but he has a distinct advantage in the wet because a lot of the other horses don't handle it and he just goes straight over the top of it," Houlahan said.

Trustus, who will carry topweight of 58kg, is one of Craig Williams' strong book of six mounts at the Hillside meeting.