Robbie Laing, who has been feted for two great training performances so far this year, will be at it again on Sunday when he attempts to win the Grand National Hurdle-Grand National Steeplechase double at Sandown.Laing won the Warrnambool Grand Annual in May with Sir Pentire, who hadn't raced for two years, and the Australian Steeple in June with Mazzacano, who also hadn't raced for the same time.Both horses, who have come back from tendon injuries, will represent Laing in the Steeple as will Ha

Robbie Laing, who has been feted for two great training performances so far this year, will be at it again on Sunday when he attempts to win the Grand National Hurdle-Grand National Steeplechase double at Sandown.

Laing won the Warrnambool Grand Annual in May with Sir Pentire, who hadn't raced for two years, and the Australian Steeple in June with Mazzacano, who also hadn't raced for the same time.

Both horses, who have come back from tendon injuries, will represent Laing in the Steeple as will Hasta Manana.

Desert Master, who won the Galleywood Hurdle at Warrnambool in May for the Russell Cameron stable, has since been transferred to Laing and he will attempt to take the Grand National Hurdle.

Laing won the 2006 GN Hurdle with Busby Glen, who beat stablemate Sir Pentire, while the trainer was successful with Vowtinsk in the 1999 GN Steeple.

Desert Master was runner-up by a neck to Black And Bent in the LV Lachal Hurdle at Sandown on August 16 and meets him 2.5kg better under the handicap conditions on Sunday.

"He hadn't raced over hurdles for two months so of the horses who fought the finish out I thought he might have been the improver," Laing said.

"He was a little bit fresh and a little bit green at his jumps, but he stuck on really well.

"He's trained on well and I think he'll be hard to beat."

Yamanaura, who was beaten just over a length when third in the Lachal, is $3.20 favourite for the GN Hurdle with TAB Sportsbet, just ahead of Black And Bent at $3.30 with Desert Master at $4.20 and Gorge at $6.

Laing said Desert Master and his three GN Steeple runners had all had a great week and were ready for Sunday, but he regards Hiskens Steeple and Crisp Steeple winner Pentiffic as the testing material in the Steeple.

"Pentiffic beat Mazzacano by 10 lengths in the Crisp and they meet on the same terms again on Sunday," Laing said.

"So you'd have to think at the weights Pentiffic will beat him again, that's without my horse improving.

"I wasn't all that happy with him going into the Crisp, but I didn't really have another option to go anywhere else.

"So we sent him around and it was the first time we'd seen him vying for the lead a mile (1600m) from home too.

"He had a couple of things against him. He has a big margin to make up but he's a great horse and he loves Sandown so it will be exciting.

"He's improved but he'd want to and the other two, Sir Pentire and Hasta Manana, have really blossomed in the last couple of weeks.

"There's not an inch between them fitness-wise or health-wise, they're bucking their brands off. The harder you work them the better they are those two old warriors. I'm very happy with them."

Pentiffic is $2.20 favourite for the Steeple ahead of Mazzacano at $2,40, Sir Pentire ($10) with Mt Townsend next best at $13.

Hasta Manana is at $31.