Pentiffic scored a confidence boosting hurdle win at Sandown when he took out the Leslie Short Memorial (3300m) on Saturday.  In doing so his trainer Fran Houlahan will try and get his steeplechase ticket so he can take his place in the Hiskens Steeplechase at Moonee Valley on July 25th.
   A five-year-old brown gelding by Pentire, Pentiffic posted his second victory at his seventh jumps  starts and according to his trainer he is a natural at the caper.
   Coming off an injury to his hind leg when another horse jumped awkwardly in front of him at his last start at Moonee Valley, when third to Destiny Calls, Pentiffic (ex Sailing High by Yachtie) proved far too strong for his opponents.
   Ridden by Trent Wells he settled in second in the small field and he turned the race in to a procession in the home straight striding clear of the pacemaker Rude ‘N’ Abrupt to win by seven lengths.
   Black And Bent battled home three lengths away in third place.
   Pentire is based in New Zealand at Rich Hill Stud, and he continues to show his versatility as a sire.
   This season alone he sired his fourth Derby winner when Markus Maximus (ex Shafty Lady by Last Tycoon) claimed the G1 WATC Derby, his rejuvenated jumper Sir Pentire (ex Privilege by Sir Tristram) created history in winning the Grand Annual Steeplechase at Warrnambool.
    Sir Pentire won the event first-up after being sidelined for two years and was too good and fit to take out the famous event. 
   And just to prove he’s not only a sire of stayers, Pentire’s son Mufhasa (ex Sheila Cheval by Mi Preferido) won the Group I Waikator Sprint (1400m) and the Group I Telegraph Hcp (1200m) this season.
A proven sire of group one winners generally stands for six figures, however, Pentire doesn’t.  His fee is only NZ$27,500.  Now that’s value if you’re not looking for a speedy juvenile!

Permalink| Jul 12, 2009

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