Trainer Peter Healey is giving Topzoff only a 50-50 chance of making his comeback to jumps racing this weekend.Healey said the 12-year-old was being treated for a gut infection and was in doubt to have his first jumps starts in nearly four years in Saturday's St. Steven Steeplechase (3200m) at Moonee Valley.He said the gelding's chances of lining up had improved in the last two days but he wouldn't run unless results from blood tests taken on Friday were perfect.He expects the results will come

Trainer Peter Healey is giving Topzoff only a 50-50 chance of making his comeback to jumps racing this weekend.

Healey said the 12-year-old was being treated for a gut infection and was in doubt to have his first jumps starts in nearly four years in Saturday's St. Steven Steeplechase (3200m) at Moonee Valley.

He said the gelding's chances of lining up had improved in the last two days but he wouldn't run unless results from blood tests taken on Friday were perfect.

He expects the results will come through late on Friday night and that he wouldn't see them until race morning.

Topzoff last Saturday confounded Healey and Racing Victoria stewards when he finished last on the flat over 2400 metres at Sandown.

"The horse clearly wasn't right," Mornington-based Healey said.

"We expected more and the stewards expected him to do more than he did based on what he had done in his steeple schools."

Healey said blood tests on Monday revealed a problem with the horse which had been diagnosed in his gut.

"His red cell count was fine, his white cell count was fine, but other indicators showed he had some sort of infection," Healey said.

He said more blood results taken on Wednesday showed improvement but "certainly not enough for him to run on Saturday".

"We galloped him on Thursday and Jonathon Bowles who rides him in all his work was very, very impressed, but I felt he blew a bit too much and took a bit too long to recover," he said.

Healey told the owners that Topzoff was only a 25 per cent chance of running but he has since revised those odds.

"I have certainly put that up to a 50-50 chance but his blood has to be absolutely perfect for him to go around in the St. Steven, " Healey said.

"The horse is eating well, looks well, but if his blood is not right there is no point running.

"I have told the owners the horse has to be 110 per cent every time he goes to the races otherwise he doesn't go, and they back me completely."

The winner of seven jumps races including the 2004 Hiskens Steeplechase, Topzoff has suffered bad tendon problems and has been off the jumps scene since finishing second in the Hiskens in July 2005.

He is easy in betting at $31 with TAB Sportsbet while New Zealander Spirit Of Alaton heads the market at $3.80 from Frenzilian at $4 and Danever ($5.50).

Tom Dabernig, the assistant trainer for David Hayes, said Danever, who was beaten nearly 40 lengths in last week's Australian Steeplechase, would be better suited coming back from 3900 metres to 3200 metres.