The Sandown meeting provided an excellent prelude to the Warrnambool May racing carnival for champion hurdler Black And Bent and promising steeplechaser Phaze Action who won their respective disciplines impressively.
Phaze Action overcame difficulties to win Wednesday’s Like Sportingbet Park On Facebook Steeplechase (3300m) while Black And Bent cruised to his eighth straight victory over the jumps in the Pink Ribbon Cup Day This Saturday @ Caulfield Hurdle (3300m).
Trainer Robert Smerdon confirmed Black And Bent would contest the $100,000 Galleywood Hurdle (3200m) at Warrnambool on May 2, a race he won two years ago, and other set weights plus penalties hurdles as the season progresses.
Black And Bent, sent out $1.26 favourite, again amazed his rider Steven Pateman with the ease of his five-length win, untouched under 70kg, over Cats Fun ($8) with last year’s Australian Hurdle winner Our Aristocrat ($5) a half-neck away third.
“I don’t know how he does it but it’s a relief to know that he’s in form for the preparation in front of him. It’s exciting,” Pateman, who is unbeaten in six rides on Black And Bent, said.
“He’s a horse of a lifetime and he’s expected to win so you just want to get the job done and you are just anxious that he gets around.
“Now that I ride trackwork for Aquanita it’s great that I’m more involved with him.
“I just shook the reins at him after the last and he had a good gallop on ground which is perfect for jumping in this sort of (fine) weather.”
Cranbourne trainer Matthew Hyland said Phaze Action would go to the $100,000 Brierly Steeplechase (3450m) at Warrnambool on May 1.
The 2009 Andrew Ramsden Stakes (3200m) winner, sent out $2.40 favourite, put in a faulty leap at the second of five fences at the back of the course causing rider Paul Hamblin to lose an iron.
But Hamblin managed to quickly get his foot back in the stirrup and the Phizam eight-year-old, despite losing a couple of lengths, was good enough to pick himself up and score by 2-1/4 lengths from Fareer ($2.90).
Last year’s Brierly winner Vindicating ($3.30) was 1-3/4 lengths away third.
“I’ll take him to Warrnambool and give him a spin around in a school on Friday and then he can have a quiet 10 days until the Brierly,” Hyland said of Phaze Action.
“He won’t back him up in the Grand Annual. The season is fairly long, there are plenty of races for him.”
“He’s got plenty of dash and he’s taken to it (steeplechasing) pretty well I reckon.
“There’s no doubt about his jumping ability and his flat ability. He just needs to brush up on his jumping.
“He just stepped off on one and nearly threw him (Hamblin) over the top.”
Phaze Action is unbeaten in two steeplechase starts, both at Sandown this season.
