Some Are Brent Ready for Nakayama Grand Jump
Every year, during the month of April, the Nakayama Racecourse in Japan hosts the Grade 1 Nakayama Grand Jump steeplechase racing event, and with a purse of approximately $1.7 million, it is one of the premier international horse racing events on the steeplechase calendar. It is run over a distance of 4 250 meters and is for thoroughbred contenders that are four years old and up. With Some Are Bent fitting the criteria and having a spectacular win on Saturday, his owners and trainer believe that he is ready for this major event.
Last year, at the Hiskens Steeplechase, which is held at the Moonee Valley Racecourse, Some Are Bent finished in third place. But this year it seems that he has come back with an unexpected toughness and determination about him. His victory at the Hiskens Steeplechase has given him his tenth win off eighteen starts and even though he was not on top form for Saturday’s event, he still managed to dig deep and win in spectacular fashion.
A month ago, Some Are Bent was struck with a low-grade virus, which made his trainer, Robert Smerdon, a little worried about his performance in the Hiskens Steeplechase, even though he performed satisfactory the week before. They were not sure if they were going to run Some Are Bent in the Moonee Valley Hurdle or in the Hiskens Steeplechase, but in a last minute decision it was decided that the Hiskens was the preferred choice and it seems that is was the correct one. Jockey, Brad McLean, only had words of praise for Some Are Bent after their victory, commenting that he was not sure what would happen within the last eight hundred meters of the race, as he could feel that his horse was getting tired, but still he kept going to the best of his ability with Frenzilian and his jockey, Trent Well, challenging him all the way. Even under such immense pressure, Some Are Bent remained calm and focused on the race, taking a magnificent victory with Frenzilian in second and Shrogginet in third.
The Nakayama Grand Jump is a big event to prepare for, and Smerdon feels confident that if Some Are Bent is trained well and his fitness levels are improved upon, he will be a formidable challenger in this horse racing event.
