Reigning Australian Jumper of the Year Black And Bent is set to make his long-awaited return from injury at Moonee Valley.Trainer Robert Smerdon confirmed that the five-year-old, who has not raced since injuring a tendon nearly a year ago, would resume over 2040 metres in Saturday's fourth heat of the Banjo Paterson Series.Promising jumper Tadgh, who broke down with a suspensory injury, will also resume in the same race alongside his more celebrated stablemate.Both horses are expected to need th

Reigning Australian Jumper of the Year Black And Bent is set to make his long-awaited return from injury at Moonee Valley.

Trainer Robert Smerdon confirmed that the five-year-old, who has not raced since injuring a tendon nearly a year ago, would resume over 2040 metres in Saturday's fourth heat of the Banjo Paterson Series.

Promising jumper Tadgh, who broke down with a suspensory injury, will also resume in the same race alongside his more celebrated stablemate.

Both horses are expected to need the run.

Black And Bent has won six of his last seven starts on the flat and over jumps but hasn't raced since he was beaten in a photo-finish by Niptious over 2500 metres at Moonee Valley on July 3.

"He's had three trials and a hurdle trial but he's a long way off his peak form of last year," Smerdon said.

"He goes there Saturday with no expectations other than it is a vital step back to the jumps.

"At the start of his preparation last year he was a 62-rated horse and now he's a Saturday metro horse so we have no option but to go to the Valley this week.

"He will settle back in the field and he might look a fleeting chance at some point but I can't see him sustaining it."

Smerdon said Black And Bent, who has won 12 of 33 starts and six of 12 over jumps, suffered a significant lesion on his tendon and that his preparation had been slow and steady over the last five months.

"He's done a lot of work but we have been very cautious with him," Smerdon said.

"You have got to give them that time and he's had the time and now it's a matter of whether he stays sound."

Jumps jockey Steven Pateman rode Black And Bent in a jumps trial at Ballarat last Thursday and he finished a 10-length third to Tadgh in the five-horse field.

"Steven said he feels great and hopefully we can get the horse in something towards the end of the (jumps) season," Smerdon said.

He has short-listed the Grand National Hurdle on August 14 and the Houlahan Hurdle on August 28 as potential targets for Black And Bent.

Last year Black And Bent won the Galleywood and the Australian Hurdles.

"It is only the middle of June and he has got a very good constitution," Smerdon said.

"After a a couple of races you will see him improve pretty quickly I expect."

Tadgh hasn't raced since finishing third to Black And Bent in a hurdle race at Sandown in April last year.

Smerdon said that despite having been longer off the scene, Tadgh's preparation had run parallel to Black And Bent's.

Black And Bent and Tadgh have also been entered for Saturday's Geoff Torney Cup (1600m).

With both horses not to run in that race, Smerdon said he would still have three starters - Light Vision, Makeadreamcometrue and Jervois.