Perfect Pentacolo takes the Great Eastern

FORMER jumps jockey Ciaron Maher has landed one of his most satisfying victories at Oakbank where he has taken out the Great Eastern Steeplecase with Pentacolo.
In a battling finish Pentacolo had to dig deep to edge past Mephistopheles who fought back gamely when tackled.
But in a keenly run affair, jockey Brad McLean had given Pentacolo a perfect run which allowed him to find a little bit more in the closing brutal final stages.
At the finish Pentacolo had just on a length to spare over Mephistopheles with the well fancied Go And Get a couple of lengths away third.
After the race Maher heaped praise on McLean and the horse.
He said: “It was a great ride by Brad, he rode the horse perfect. He settled back but jumped perfectly and jumped his way into the race.”
It was a sharp improvement from Pentacolo who had finished a moderate 7-1/4 lengths fifth in the Von Doussa at Oakbank only two days earlier.
But Maher said: “He just needed the run on Saturday to clean him up a bit.”
Maher first burst to prominence when he prepared Tears I Cry to a shock victory in the Group 1, Emirates Stakes during the 2007 Melbourne Cup carnival at Flemington.
The Oakbank event does not carry nearly as much in stakes but for a former jumping jockey it is just as satisfying.
Maher said Pentacolo would now be set for the Grand Annual Steeple at his home track at Warrnambool in May.