Robbie Laing says Mazzacano couldn't be fitter for his attempt to win Saturday's Australian Steeplechase at Sandown despite not having raced for nearly two years.Laing is renowned for getting jumpers and stayers up for races with interval training rather than racing them into fitness.He was acclaimed for winning the 2005 Andrew Ramsden Stakes (3200m) at Flemington first-up with Pantani and more recently the Grand Annual Steeple (5500m) at Warrnambool with Sir Pentire despite him not having raced
Robbie Laing says Mazzacano couldn't be fitter for his attempt to win Saturday's Australian Steeplechase at Sandown despite not having raced for nearly two years.
Laing is renowned for getting jumpers and stayers up for races with interval training rather than racing them into fitness.
He was acclaimed for winning the 2005 Andrew Ramsden Stakes (3200m) at Flemington first-up with Pantani and more recently the Grand Annual Steeple (5500m) at Warrnambool with Sir Pentire despite him not having raced for two years.
Laing said Mazzacano was pretty similar in condition to what Sir Pentire was when he won the Grand Annual by 11-3/4 lengths on May 7.
"I'm pretty happy with him. He's come through all his work and rehab and I've really tightened the screws on him the last couple of weeks and he's thrived," Laing said.
"He had a pretty busy day on Tuesday.
"He galloped 1200 metres on the grass with Joontoo Gemini and kept up with her and then he lined up in a 2400-metre hurdle trial at midday and just had a bowl around and ran third and then he was in the last of the day, a 2800-metre steeple school, and he probably got 100 metres behind them early and ran second in a pretty soft trial.
"I'm very happy with him. He had a fairly easy day on Wednesday and went a mile and a half (2400m) in evens early, had a hose and a walk and then he went out and ran 1000 metres in 1:2 and he wouldn't have blown a candle out, so he's pretty right.
"I couldn't get him any fitter."
Mazzacano is unbeaten in six jumps starts but hasn't raced since winning the 2007 Crisp Steeple (3900m) at Sandown by six lengths after which he limped back to scale with the latest of the multiple tendon injuries he has suffered.
At his previous start, Mazzacano won the 2007 Australian Steeple by 20 lengths at Sandown.
Gavin Bedggood, who has ridden Mazzacano five times for as many wins, retains the mount on the eight-year-old who has to carry the biggest weight of his career, topweight of 69.5kg, in Saturday's 3900m event.
Stablemate Father Patrick will also run in the race with Bill Williams the rider.
Father Patrick is a dual Grand National Steeple placegetter having finished runner-up to Personal Drum in 2006 and third to Ginolad last year.
The nine-year-old has won two recent steeple schools but finished last to Danever in the Redleap Steeple (3400m) at Sandown on June 3.
Also among Mazzacano's 10 rivals are Von Doussa Steeple winner Wheel The Lead, Danever, last-start Great Southern Steeple winner Zagata, 2008 St Steven Steeple runner-up War Dancer and Rude `N' Abrupt.
Sandown racecourse manager Tim Bailey said the track was rated a heavy 10 on Thursday but it could be upgraded to a heavy nine or eight if there was no further rain before the start of the meeting.