Above: Hasta Manana (inside) holds on to beat the fast-finishing Forest Knight in the $101,500 Australian Hurdle at Sandown on Saturday. By Glen Atwell
CRANBOURNE trainer Robbie Laing joined an elite group of horsemen with a winning jumps double at Sandown Racecourse on Saturday.
Laing scored in the Australian Steeplechase (3900 metres) with Mazzacano, a horse unbeaten over jumps, and completed the duet in the Australian Hurdle (3400 metres) with Hasta Manana.
Laing joins Rick Hore-Lacy (1985) and the legendary Jim Houlahan (1996) as the only trainers to win the double in the same season.
Mazzacano breezed to a comfortable 20-length victory in the Australian Steeplechase after successfully navigating 13 gruelling fences.
Ridden by Gavin Bedggood, Mazzacano was second-last with 1400 metres to run, but with only a slight suggestion of the whip Bedggood had his mount 10 wide and effortlessly rounding the field on the home turn.
The six-year-old gelding blew his opposition away, Mazzacano racing away to win ahead of 2005 Grand National Hurdle winner Enzed, which was four lengths clear of third-placed Conzeal.
“Wow”, was the only word Laing could muster as he greeted owner Matt Perrin after the race.
But as much as Mazzacano’s win was heart-warming, Hasta Manana’s victory in the Australian Hurdle was heart-stopping.
The six-year-old gelding held on to win by just half a neck from the fast-finishing Forest Knight.
Before the race, Laing instructed jockey Bill Williams to keep his mount well clear of the opposition.
Williams did exactly that and raced Hasta Manana to the lead with 1600 metres to run.
Hasta Manana tired, but fought on gallantly to just beat Forest Knight.
Pure Malt finished third.
“Bill would have liked it if he hadn’t gone to the lead so early, but I didn’t want to take any chances,” Laing said.
Hasta Manana and Forest Knight are set to clash again in the $252,000 Grand National Hurdle (4300 metres) at Sandown on 30 June, according to Laing.
“I have no worries about the extra distance and will probably use different tactics in the Grand National,” he said.
“I am thrilled to have won the double and now we can look forward to the National double.”
Mazzacano will contest the $151,000 Crisp Steeplechase (4000 metres) at Sandown, also on 30 June, before targeting the $252,000 Grand National Steeplechase (4500 metres) a week later.
Laing also said he expected an invitation for Mazzacano to run in the Nakayami Grand Jump (4250 metres), the world’s richest steeplechase, in Japan next April.
