Connections of Pentiffic are keen to take him to Japan for next year's $2.3 million Nakayama Grand Jump following his impressive steeplechasing debut in the AV Hiskens Steeple at Moonee Valley.But Warrnambool trainer Ciaron Maher and owner Garry Baker were left devastated when star-chaser Geeorb fell and broke his shoulder at the second last fence on Saturday when leading the 11-horse field.The eight-year-old Encosta De Lago gelding had to be put down."He was a good horse. It was one of those th

Connections of Pentiffic are keen to take him to Japan for next year's $2.3 million Nakayama Grand Jump following his impressive steeplechasing debut in the AV Hiskens Steeple at Moonee Valley.

But Warrnambool trainer Ciaron Maher and owner Garry Baker were left devastated when star-chaser Geeorb fell and broke his shoulder at the second last fence on Saturday when leading the 11-horse field.

The eight-year-old Encosta De Lago gelding had to be put down.

"He was a good horse. It was one of those things I guess," Maher said.

Pentiffic gave trainer Fran Houlahan her second Hiskens success having won it with Suede Boy in 1981 while it was a first for her partner and co-trainer Brian Johnston.

"It's been 28 years between drinks," said an excited Houlahan, daughter of the legendary trainer Jim Houlahan who won the Hiskens a record five times.

Pentiffic ($2.80 fav) gave 23-year-old Trent Wells the biggest win of his career when he finished powerfully from back in the field to score by 5-1/2 lengths from Hooker Road ($6).

Warrnambool Grand Annual winner Sir Pentire ($11) made up a lot of ground after bungling a fence earlier in the race to finish 5-1/2 lengths away third.

"The further they go the stronger he gets, but I never thought he'd win like that. It was an outstanding effort," Houlahan said.

Houlahan said Pentiffic would go to the Crisp Steeple (3900m) on August 16 and then the $200,000 Grand National Steeple (4530m) on August 30, both at Sandown.

"And we'd dearly love him to get invited to Japan. He'd be a good horse for it," Houlahan said.

"He has a very good technique, he gets his legs up and today's race was run like they run them in Japan, they went really hard."

Pentiffic had been thwarted by bad luck in some of his hurdle starts including when he lost his rider Craig Durden in the Australian Hurdle (3400m) at Sandown last month.

His owners, including former VATC chairman Peter Lawrence, transferred him from Bruce Elkington's stables at Geelong after he had shown little on the flat.

Houlahan said Pentiffic had no interest in being a flat horse but she and Johnston have long held a huge opinion of him as a jumper.

"I put a big spruik on the horse earlier in the season and some people said I'd gone stark raving mad, but that's what we knew we had," Johnston said.

"Hopefully the Japan Racing Association view him favourably so that we can to take him to Japan next year and show the world how good he is."

Wells had an anxious wait after being suspended at Kilmore on Tuesday for careless riding, a penalty he successfully appealed on Friday enabling him to ride Pentiffic.

"He jumped sensationally, we were out the back smoking our pipe and he rounded them up so easily," he said.

"We can't wait to take him over to Japan if we are lucky enough to be invited there."