Exciting `chaser Mazzacano is on the comeback trail and set to return in the Australian Steeplechase at Sandown on June 13.Trainer Robbie Laing scratched Mazzacano from a heat of the Banjo Paterson Series at Flemington after the eight-year-old successfully completed a steeple school at Cranbourne on Friday.Laing was more than satisfied with Mazzacano who is on the way back from multiple tendon injuries.He is aiming him for his return to racing in the Australian Steeplechase (3900m), a race he wo

Exciting `chaser Mazzacano is on the comeback trail and set to return in the Australian Steeplechase at Sandown on June 13.

Trainer Robbie Laing scratched Mazzacano from a heat of the Banjo Paterson Series at Flemington after the eight-year-old successfully completed a steeple school at Cranbourne on Friday.

Laing was more than satisfied with Mazzacano who is on the way back from multiple tendon injuries.

He is aiming him for his return to racing in the Australian Steeplechase (3900m), a race he won two years ago.

Mazzacano, who is undefeated in six jumps starts, hasn't raced since winning the 2007 Crisp Steeple (3900m) at Sandown, beating Conzeal by six lengths.

He returned to scale lame with his latest tendon injury but there was never any doubt Laing would try to get him back.

Laing said the strand starts trialled for the first time at Cranbourne on Friday were a success as they helped horses to settle and slow the early pace down.

"I was worried from a betting point of view that punters might be turned off jumps racing if strand starts are brought in, but they worked really well," he said.

Meanwhile, Mornington trainer Peter Healey is looking at the St Steven Steeplechase at Moonee Valley on June 20 for the return of 2004 Hiskens Steeple winner Topzoff.

Now rising 13, Topzoff hasn't raced over obstacles since finishing runner-up to Sissano in the 2005 Hiskens.

He also suffered a tendon injury but showed he wasn't far away from a return with his third to Geeorb in the same steeple school as Mazzacano on Friday.

Topzoff has had a flat trial, two flat runs and two steeple schools in preparation for his first jumps start in nearly four years.

"I'm not sure whether he'll go to the St Steven at Moonee Valley over 3900 metres which is a big ask after four years, but we'll look at it," Healey said.

Topzoff has been nominated for Wednesday's Redleap Steeple (3400m) at Sandown and is topweight with 69.5kg ahead of the Ciaron Maher trained pair, Geeorb and Al Garhood, who both received 68.5kg.

Geeorb won the Crisp Steeple (4000m) at Flemington last June, beating Jamraan by nine lengths, while Al Garhood made it back-to-back Brierly Steeple (3450m) victories before finishing an 11-3/4 length runner-up to Sir Pentire in the Grand Annual Steeple (5500m) at Warrnambool on May 7.

Al Garhood was second in his steeple school at Cranbourne behind Father Patrick who has been placed in two Grand National Steeples at Flemington, runner-up to Personal Drum over 4500m in 2006 and third to Ginolad over 4350m last year.

Father Patrick, one of 15 of the 18 Redleap entries weighted on the minimum (64kg), will run on Wednesday.

Pentiffic, who won a 2400m hurdle trial at Cranbourne on Friday, and Pay The Aces are the topweights with 69kg in Wednesday's Winterset Hurdle (3300m) which attracted 16 entries.