KEY POINTS:
The winning sequence of champion jumper Some Are Bent continued yesterday when he strolled away with the Macdonald Steeplechase at Moonee Valley in Melbourne to record his eighth successive jumps win.
Having his first start over the bigger jumps, Some Are Bent made light of his 69kg to record an easy win in the 3700m $A100,000 ($111,680) feature. He was eased down over the final 100m to score by seven lengths from Anyone We Know with Virvacity a length away third.
Some Are Bent's victory moved him to within one win of Lots Of Time's nine consecutive jumps wins in the late 1960s.
He will be shooting to equal that record in the Hiskens Steeplechase (3700m) at Moonee Valley in two weeks when he will also be chasing a $A100,000 bonus.
The bonus is on offer for any horse that could win three feature jumps races plus the Hiskens. Some Are Bent has already taken out the Houlahan Hurdle, the Lachal Hurdle and the Grand National Hurdle.
The Hiskens looks at his mercy following the Macdonald victory and an added bonus is that he will drop two kilograms to 67kg.
Trainer Robert Smerdon is holidaying in Queensland but jockey Brad McLean said yesterday's victory was his best win.
"He just keeps improving," McLean said. "He's jumped super and travelled throughout and really put paid to them."
Some Are Bent got his ticket to race over the bigger jumps in a school at Burrumbeet on Wednesday where he jumped indifferently.
"He had a pretty good school and it was good that he made those little mistakes," McLean said.
- AAP
