Robbie Laing rated Mazzacano's comeback win after a two-year layoff in the Australian Steeplechase at Sandown on Saturday as one of the best achievements of his training career.Mazzacano was brought back to fitness painstakingly by Laing who said it was as big a thrill as Sir Pentire's first-up win after two years off the scene in the Warrnambool Grand Annual Steeple (5500m), Pantani's first-up success in the 2005 Andrew Ramsden Stakes (3200m) and Roman Arch's 2006 Australian Cup."They were all
Robbie Laing rated Mazzacano's comeback win after a two-year layoff in the Australian Steeplechase at Sandown on Saturday as one of the best achievements of his training career.
Mazzacano was brought back to fitness painstakingly by Laing who said it was as big a thrill as Sir Pentire's first-up win after two years off the scene in the Warrnambool Grand Annual Steeple (5500m), Pantani's first-up success in the 2005 Andrew Ramsden Stakes (3200m) and Roman Arch's 2006 Australian Cup.
"They were all huge thrills and great individual performances. It's great when it comes off," he said.
Laing has brought Mazzacano back from three bowed tendons and has managed to keep the Sir Ivor eight-year-old undefeated in seven jumps starts.
It was the gelding's second Australian Steeple (3900m) victory having won the event two years ago by 20 lengths and he hadn't raced since winning the Crisp Steeple at Sandown in June 2007 when he returned to scale with a bowed tendon.
Ridden by his regular partner Gavin Bedggood, Mazzacano ($4.20 equal fav) settled second last but made ground quickly to hit the front on the turn.
He held out the grey Brookton Mist ($16) to score by three-quarters of a length with War Dancer ($8) 2-3/4 lengths away third.
"He probably raced a bit fresh, he might have got to the front a bit soon but when he goes he picks them up so quick and he nearly did fall at the 1200 metres. He really put in a shocking jump," Laing said.
Now raced by his original owner Greg Mance, Mazzacano was raced on lease by Matthew Perrin for two years as he wanted to win a jumps race at Warrnambool which the gelding achieved two years ago.
However when the lease ran out the gelding was returned to Mance and races in the colours that were made famous by Cole Diesel who was owned and trained by Mance to win the 1989 Toorak Handicap and Caulfield Cup.
Laing admitted before the race that he was worried about the 69.5kg Mazzacano had to carry and fears big weights may force him to race overseas.
"He can go to the Grand National or an overseas campaign because he wouldn't want to be getting much more weight than he got today," Laing said.
The $200,000 Grand National Steeple (4530m) is run at Sandown on August 30.
Jockeys in both the Australian Steeple and Hurdle wore black armbands in honour of former champion jumps jockey Ron Hall Snr who died on Saturday morning aged 87.
Hall, the father of former champion flat jockey Greg Hall and former leading jumps jockey Ron Hall Jnr, won both the Australian Steeple and Hurdle in a distinguished career in the saddle.