Silverhand (grey) quickens up best on the run-in at Galway© Photo Healy Racing
The opening City Publicans Charity Hurdle at Galway was a rather muddling affair but it produced a convincing winner in the shape of the classy Silverhand
Waited with towards the back in this five runner two and a half mile affair, backers of the Paul Carberry-ridden grey may not have been thrilled to have been with the 9/4 shot for much of the journey.
However the eight-year-old has always been in possession of a pretty quick turn of foot when it's required and he put his pace to good use from the back of the last. He upped the ante on the run-in to beat the front-runner, Tornedo Shay by a length.
Noel Meade trains Silverhand for J P McManus (lost a newcomer in Two For The Road at this track yesterday) and the Meath handler said: "I think he won that race before (in 2010). We changed our minds – we had him in the novice chase but we decided to go for this when the ground was so heavy.
"He's really a good ground horse but he got away with it there. We'll probably go back over fences now.
"His jumping was bit scrappy early on but that can often happen with horses that have been over fences going back hurdling.
"He ran a cracker in the Coral Cup when he was fourth but the ground went against him after that."
For Carberry this was a return to the number one spot for the first time since riding a winner at Killarney 55 days ago. The Tu Va stable jockey has been on the sidelines with a couple of injuries in the interim. (AM & EM)
