Some Are Bent makes his long-awaited return to jumps racing at Sandown but trainer Robert Smerdon has warned about expecting too much from the eight-year-old.The dual Australian Jumper of the Year has rarely been out of the money in his 18 starts over the jumps with 10 wins and six placings and lines up in Wednesday's Roisel Steeplechase (3300m).He was sidelined with lower cannon bone pain, an ailment similar to shin-soreness, for more than a year and has built his fitness in recent weeks with a

Some Are Bent makes his long-awaited return to jumps racing at Sandown but trainer Robert Smerdon has warned about expecting too much from the eight-year-old.

The dual Australian Jumper of the Year has rarely been out of the money in his 18 starts over the jumps with 10 wins and six placings and lines up in Wednesday's Roisel Steeplechase (3300m).

He was sidelined with lower cannon bone pain, an ailment similar to shin-soreness, for more than a year and has built his fitness in recent weeks with a combination of two flat runs and four jumps trials.

Smerdon said that with 70kg and up against dual Australian Steeplechase winner Mazzacano it would be a race that would create a lot of interest, but he wasn't so sure about the result.

Some Are Bent last raced over jumps when he won the Hiskens Steeplechase at Moonee Valley in July 2008 but needed prolonged rest to get over the cannon bone pain.

"He's on the comeback trail and he's probably vulnerable tomorrow," Smerdon said.

"Although he hasn't had a lot of flat racing he has done a lot of schooling but in saying that he is coming off a long layoff.

"We are happy with him but you like to see them do it on race day.

"It will be interesting to see how he goes but he will improve with the run."

Smerdon has three jumpers in his stable and all are competing at Sandown.

Some Are Bent's half-brother Black And Bent and Tadgh both showed promise in their first season jumping last year.

Smerdon is using the Fiscom Hurdle (3300m) as their prelude to next month's Galleywood Hurdle at Warrnambool.

Black And Bent is a particularly exciting jumper and like his older half-brother has an iron constitution.

"He has come back terrific and he looks great," Smerdon said.

Last year a plan to educate him with no more than two starts over jumps turned into a nine-run jumps campaign with three wins, including the Lachal Hurdle, and four placings.

"He's remarkably tough," Smerdon said.

"It was all a bit of an afterthought last year but he did a terrific job and he has been spelled and prepared with this jumps season in mind."

Brad McLean will ride both Black And Bent and Some Are Bent at Sandown while Steven Pateman will ride Tadgh.

While Black And Bent races best off the pace, Tadgh has a win and a placing from four jumps starts and is an on-pace jumper.

"He is probably a horse who needs to roll forward as he has a good cruising speed but doesn't quicken that well," Smerdon said.

The jumps season was launched at Hamilton last weekend with small fields and that has flowed on to Sandown with only six runners in the Roisel Steeplechase and five in the Fiscom Hurdle.