Meade finds a silver lining on the flat

He may not have won over hurdles since making a winning debut at Punchestown two-years ago this week but Silverhand is proving profitable to follow on the flat in recent times.

A maiden winner at Tramore in August, Silverhand has progressed through the ranks in three outings on the level since and today landed the listed Kevin Deering Lifetime in Racing Achievement Finale Stakes at the Curragh.

Winner of the September Handicap at the same track, the five-year-old was only beaten three parts of a length in the Irish Cesarewitch before taking Sunday’s valuable 1m4f pot when giving weight away to all of his 12-rivals in the listed contest.

A return to jumping is still be on the agenda for the grey son of Lend A Hand but Noel Meade is hopeful of finding another opportunity on the flat before the end of the current season.

“He seems to be enjoying it more on the flat than over jumps, but he does have a real good Aga Khan pedigree and is adaptable to the ground,” revealed the winning trainer.

“I don’t think there is much left for him on the flat in Ireland but I may go to England towards the end of the season because he is in great heart and if there is a race I would like to go for it.”