Tough as their trainer, Laing's stars ready to jump to it
Sydney Morning Herald
Friday July 24, 2009
IT IS often said that jumps horses are tough, and so surely are their trainers. Proof of both came easily at Carrum beach in south Melbourne on Thursday morning.In the water, reported to be about 18C but still appearing icy, were noted jumpers Sir Pentire and Hasta Manana and on the beach was their trainer, Robbie Laing.It was unusual that Laing was not in the water aboard one of his horses, but he had good reason."I've just got out of bed and I'm not supposed to be here," he said as he watched the horses power through the surf. "I've got low-grade pneumonia and asthma and have got to go off and get chest X-rays this morning. But I thought I'd come and see how they were."They looked in superb condition. Sir Pentire and Hasta Manana both run in Saturday's $200,000 Hiskens Steeplechase at Moonee Valley and both are at their physical peak. On Thursday they worked slowly over three kilometres at Cranbourne before their trip to the beach.Wednesday morning began with a 4am workout for both horses followed by a 2800-metre steeplechase school at Mornington on a track rated a heavy 10. "They both were very good," Laing said. "Sir Pentire gathered his opposition in with a half-mile to go and won easily by a length. It was the best he's gone since the Grand Annual."Hasta Manana only had restricted horses in his trial and he led by 10 [lengths] then 15 and won by 25."Hasta Manana is making his steeplechase debut on Saturday after making his name as a hurdler, but Laing has no concerns about the larger obstacles."In the school yesterday, he jumped brilliantly and put a lot of air between himself and the fences," he said.For Sir Pentire, a Hiskens win would thrust him forward as one of the country's best steeplechasers. Only Brightello in 1941 has completed the Grand Annual Steeplechase-Hiskens double. But it is doubtful whether Brightello won the Grand Annual after a two-year break because of leg ailments, as Sir Pentire did in May.But Sir Pentire has always been a talented horse. "He ran fourth to Helenus in the Vase at Moonee Valley as a three-year-old and he's won over 1500 metres and of course won a [VRC] St Leger, so he's a pretty smart horse and he goes terrific at Moonee Valley," Laing said.Sir Pentire has run three times on the flat since his Grand Annual heroics, in which he jumped 33 fences and ran 5500m to win by a widening 11 lengths.Hasta Manana is also having his first jumps start for 12 months after also recovering from a series of injuries following his fall in the Lachal Hurdle at Flemington last winter."He came out of it with a dodgy fetlock joint that had spurs and bits of cartilage that had to be removed," Laing said. "But when we had him at Ballarat [veterinary clinic] and then they found that he had a hairline crack in his vertebrae so it was a longer process before we could get him back."Two years ago, Hasta Manana scored in the Australian Hurdle on the same day his stablemate Mazzacano won the Australian Steeplechase by 20 lengths and little has changed in the pecking order in Laing's stable."Mazzacano is the perfect jumper. He loves the wet, he stays and jumps so well and he's just so relaxed," Laing said. "He trialled very well again yesterday." Mazzacano, which last month won at his first start in two years after a long injury lay-off , will run next in the Crisp Steeplechase on August 16 before his attempt on the Grand National Steeplechase.Next year, Mazzacano may compete in England in the Cheltenham jumps festival or in Aintree Grand National Steeplechase but Laing is wary of getting too far ahead of himself in today's jumps racing climate. "It's so hard to plan anything at the moment," he said.
© 2009 Sydney Morning Herald
