Trainer Ciaron Maher has welcomed the presence of dual Australian Jumper of the Year Some Are Bent in the Brierly Steeplechase as he attempts to win the Warrnambool feature for the third time with Al Garhood.Last year Al Garhood became the seventh dual winner of the Brierly but on Tuesday he gets the chance to become only the second horse to win it three times after Russell scored in 1977, 79 and 80.Understandably Some Are Bent is the Brierly topweight with 71kg which has suppressed the handicap

Trainer Ciaron Maher has welcomed the presence of dual Australian Jumper of the Year Some Are Bent in the Brierly Steeplechase as he attempts to win the Warrnambool feature for the third time with Al Garhood.

Last year Al Garhood became the seventh dual winner of the Brierly but on Tuesday he gets the chance to become only the second horse to win it three times after Russell scored in 1977, 79 and 80.

Understandably Some Are Bent is the Brierly topweight with 71kg which has suppressed the handicapping of Al Garhood who will carry 67kg, just a half kilo more than last year.

"We probably needed a good horse like Some Are Bent in the race otherwise he (Al Garhood) would have been weighted out of it," Maher said.

He said this year's field is the strongest of the three Brierlys Al Garhood has faced but he has noted improvement in the 10-year-old as he has got older.

"He seems to be getting better each year," Maher said.

Al Garhood ran second in a Hamilton Steeplechase in his two previous lead ups to the Brierly while this year he won the Von Doussa Steeplechase at Oakbank before a conditioning flat run at Hamilton.

"He would have had too much in the steeplechase at Hamilton this year so we ran him in the flat race instead and he trialled well (over the jumps) here (at Warrnambool) last Tuesday," Maher said.

"It was a very tough win in the Von Doussa and we have had this race in mind again all along," Maher said.

Last year Al Garhood backed up two days after the Brierly for a brave second to Sir Pentire in the Grand Annual Steeplechase but Maher said he was undecided about doing the same again.

"We will accept with him for Thursday but it really depends on he goes in the Brierly and how he pulls up," Maher said.

Maher, who trains at Warrnambool, estimates he will have up to 12 runners at the three-day carnival, including Art Success who will line up in Wednesday's Galleywood Hurdle.

A first season jumper, Art Success won the Yalumba Hurdle (3600m) at Oakbank on April 5 only two days after placing third at his jumps debut.

"It probably took a bit out of him at Oakbank but he is a very good stayer, seems well and seems to jump fairly well," Maher said.