Trainer Robert Smerdon says he will be feeling his way with champion jumper Black And Bent as he tries to qualify him for this year’s Melbourne Cup.
Smerdon said he was a natural pessimist and mindful of the magnitude of trying to get the Black And Bent into the Melbourne Cup.
“It is a big ask but we will have a bit of fun trying to get there,” Smerdon said.
Black And Bent posted the 17th win of his 40-start career when he stormed to victory in Sunday’s J J Houlahan Hurdle (3400m) at Sandown.
It was his fifth win in a row and came only two weeks after he scored a 12-length win in the Grand National at the track.
The six-year-old was just as dominant in the Houlahan, settling 12 lengths off the lead in third place most of the way.
He loomed up to the leaders rounding the home turn and shot away to a commanding lead over the last jump to post his 10th win in 16 runs over jumps.
He scored officially by eight lengths but could have won by much further as he was eased down.
Our Chateau finished second and Half Moon Rising was another seven lengths away third.
Phaze Action who jumped badly was the only other runner to complete the course after Berlioz was pulled up and Fergus McIver collapsed and died at the last jump.
Smerdon admitted his relief that the $1.16 favourite had won again.
“All the outward signs were fine but they are only animals and the expectations are that it will just keep happening,” Smerdon said.
“But when you are the engineer of it or the architect of it you are supposed to make it happen.”
Black And Bent showed his class on the flat five starts ago when his winning run started in the Banjo Paterson Series Final (2500m) at Flemington on July 9.
He scored hurdle wins in Adelaide and at Warrnambool before his Grand National success and Sunday’s win.
Smerdon said Black And Bent would spend the next week on the water walker to freshen him for a Melbourne Cup campaign.
“We will back off him and get a bit of freshness back in his legs going back for the shorter trips on the flat.
Black And Bent’s next run could be the Group Three Naturalism Stakes (2000m) at Caulfield on September 17 before a decision is made between three options on the first weekend in October.
The Ansett Stakes (2400m) at Mornington, The Metropolitan (2600m) in Sydney and The Bart Cummings (2500m) at Flemington are all Melbourne Cup qualifying races.
“We will just take the weakest option,” said managing owner Mike Symons.
Symons, who donated $5000 of Sunday’s prize money to injured jockey Brett Scott, reiterated his desire for Black And Bent to race overseas in the Champion Hurdle in England and even the Nakayama Grand Jump in Japan.
Jockey Steven Pateman has dominated the jumps season but said Black And Bent, who had come back from injury to compete this season, had been a clear highlight.
“Once he got to the front it was almost like I was still in fifth gear,” Pateman said.
“I looked after him to the line.”
“It is such a thrill and we’re ready to take on the world.”
AAP TURF
