Jumpers are the highlight on an open card of racing at Sandown but it is those going over obstacles that make most appeal, with the couple set to race on the flat looking to have made the market for talented mare Lake Sententia.

Robert Smerdon’s jumping duo, Black and Bent and Kirribilli Gold, are not complete duffers on the flat, Kirribilli was a C&D winner two back, but this is sure to test them both coming back in trip and they look over-factored in the current market, both trading at single figures.

Harry Trimbole is another currently quoted in single figures despite being 2 years and 13 runs without a win.

This sees Lake Sententia trading at around the $3 mark, a good twist over where she sits on our figures

Her form around 2000m is hard to fault. She was a cosy five length winner off a competitive mare’s handicap at Moonee Valley before running second in the Group 2 Matriarch on the final day of Flemington last spring.

She was without luck over the mile two back but again improved for the step up to 2000m last time, scoring a big win at listed level in Adelaide having been deep throughout.

The kiwi Indikator has done her a favour by accepting, compressing the weights, and then scratching from today’s race leaving her well treated on that form.

Another handy mare in Ominous Quality makes a bit of appeal in the last.

She returns from a short let-up following a two-run Sydney campaign where she ran well in a couple of tougher races than what she tackles here.

It’s a typically competitive mare’s handicap to close the card but she has the best form in the book and is backable around the $6.50 mark.

If the track were to come up soft the market will be interesting as she is unplaced in two on soft ground but deeper inspection shows that she was good without luck in one and competitive two back on a heavy track in a Group 3 Millie Fox.

The lays section of this column has read more like a best bets sheet in the past couple of weeks but we push on knowing that they were under the odds and “good value” regardless of the result….

Brungle Cry is one of the better hurdlers in the country and his Galleywood win at Warrnambool saw him right at the top of his game, and with the promise of more to come.

That’s not really the sort of profile to chase down when on the hunt for a lay of the day but Brungle comes up against an opponent in the Australian Hurdle that made a big impression at his jumping debut.

Macedonian was within 7lbs on champion jumper Black And Bent on the clock at Sandown and was untested in doing so. His form was assessed only just short of the form that Brungle Cry put up to win the Galleywood and that leaves him rated top for today when weights are taken into account.

Throw in a good honest hurdler like Gotta Take Care and a fairly promising type in Maythehorsebemagic and the price about Brungle looks a touch skinny.

THE MELBOURNE MAIL:

BANKER: LAKE SENTENTIA @ $3.00

LAY OF THE DAY: BRUNGLE CRY @ $2.15