Some Are Bent pleased the Robert Smerdon stable in a hurdle trial at Stony Creek on Wednesday which is expected to qualify the gelding to run in Saturday's The Australian Hurdle at Sandown.Smerdon did not travel to the south Gippsland course for the jumps trials but received an encouraging report from rider Brad McLean."I've spoken with Brad McLean and he said he was very happy with him," Smerdon said."He just bowled along in front and jumped really well. The conditions were obviously very wet a

Some Are Bent pleased the Robert Smerdon stable in a hurdle trial at Stony Creek on Wednesday which is expected to qualify the gelding to run in Saturday's The Australian Hurdle at Sandown.

Smerdon did not travel to the south Gippsland course for the jumps trials but received an encouraging report from rider Brad McLean.

"I've spoken with Brad McLean and he said he was very happy with him," Smerdon said.

"He just bowled along in front and jumped really well. The conditions were obviously very wet and testing but that's okay for him so it was a very positive report that he gave to me."

The jumps review panel, chaired by Racing Victoria Limited steward James Williams, will meet early on Thursday to watch video of the Stony Creek trials ahead of acceptances for The Australian Hurdle (3400m) and The Australian Steeplechase (3900m).

Smerdon said he would also start the very much in-form Black And Bent in The Australian Hurdle.

The winner of his last five starts and six of his last seven, Black And Bent won't go to Sydney for Saturday's Stayer's Cup (3200m) at Rosehill.

"The thinking was that if Sandown was really heavy, like a 10, the owners might have looked at it (taking him Sydney)," Smerdon said.

"He's not a great wet-tracker, he's okay in it depending on the degree of it, but the way things are at the moment he'll run at Sandown unless it turned ugly later on."

The Sandown track was rated a heavy (8) on Wednesday.

Some Are Bent received 71.5kg, the biggest weight of his career, but Smerdon was not perturbed.

"I expected that," Smerdon said.

The last horse to carry more weight to victory in an Australian Hurdle was Contador who had 72.5kg in 1962.

Steven Pateman thought there was something amiss with Some Are Bent when he pulled him up out of a 3300m steeplechase at Sandown on June 2.

But Smerdon believes it was more the rising nine-year-old not handling the new fences which are bigger than the old ones.

"We think he's just not as effective over those bigger obstacles which is the reason for coming back to the hurdles," the trainer said.

A dual Jumper of the Year, Some Are Bent shouldered 71kg when he won the Brierly Steeple (3450m) at Warrnambool on May 4, two days before he fell under 70kg in the Grand Annual Steeple (5500m) at the same track.

Pateman retains the ride on Some Are Bent while McLean will be aboard Black And Bent who will carry 66kg.