AFTER a year of bad news, jumps racing was looking for some good news with the first metropolitan feature jumps races for the season at Betfair Park yesterday and the Robbie Laing-trained Mazzacano, having his first start in two years, delivered in spades with a hard-fought win in the Australian Steeplechase, reports the Sunday Age.Its report adds: Racecaller Greg Miles summed up the thoughts of many as Mazzacano went clear over the last fence saying, "Could this be the greatest training pe

AFTER a year of bad news, jumps racing was looking for some good news with the first metropolitan feature jumps races for the season at Betfair Park yesterday and the Robbie Laing-trained Mazzacano, having his first start in two years, delivered in spades with a hard-fought win in the Australian Steeplechase, reports the Sunday Age.

Its report adds: Racecaller Greg Miles summed up the thoughts of many as Mazzacano went clear over the last fence saying, "Could this be the greatest training performance in the history of the race?"

In an event that was first run in 1882, there would have been many great training triumphs but it would certainly be hard to beat Laing's feat in producing Mazzacano to win first up since winning the Crisp Steeplechase at Sandown in June 2007 when, despite bowing a tendon, he was able to win by six lengths.

"I have had some great wins, Sir Pentire first up in the Grand Annual, Pantani first up in the Duke Of Norfolk and Roman Arch in the Australian Cup, but this is right up there with them," Laing said.

Mazzacano, who has bowed his near-front tendon three times, has had a long, slow preparation and, after having had eight official trials since March, Laing was confident he could go close to winning.

"I thought he could win. If I didn't think he could win I wouldn't have bothered running him," he said.

Laing said that despite the horse's problems he always thought he would be able to get him back to his best.

"The horse has the ability and if you are patient enough with them you can do anything."

Jockey Gavin Bedggood, who has had a great association with the horse, allowed Mazzacano ($4.20 equal favourite) to settle out the back with only Danever behind him.

He made a mistake at the fourth-last jump but recovered well and moved into the race sharply coming to the second-last jump.

He went clear of Magnastar and Zagata over the last fence and, although getting tired near the line, had a three-quarters of a length margin on outsider Brookton Mist ($16), who finished the race off strongly, with War Dancer ($8) a further 2¥ lengths away third.