Roche hoping to carry form south as Silent Creek out to make amends

RACING: LIMERICK PREVIEW:CHRISTY ROCHE was in winning form at Leopardstown yesterday and he can repeat the trick at Limerick today with Silent Creek in the featured handicap chase.

In some ways Silent Creek has some unfinished business with the €40,000 Tim Duggan Handicap, as he was well backed to win it last year only to be carried left at a critical stage by the winner Questions Answered.

He ended up third on that occasion and hasn’t been seen since winning at Naas last March. Silent Creek also has the job of putting a halt to Seabass’ gallop.

Ted Walsh’s runner returned to action with a point-to-point win last month and is 10lbs higher for subsequently scoring at Punchestown from Like Your Style.

Seabass is likely to be a popular fancy today but with the Roche team in a bit of form, Silent Creek could be a value alternative in a race that also contains the Aintree runner-up Linnel.

Racing opens today with a maiden hurdle that sees some famous colours being carried by the Tom Taaffe-trained Distant Memories.

This horse was smart on the flat in England and is owned by Fitri Hay, whose silks were carried by the Group One pair of Cape Blanco and Fame And Glory on the flat this year.

Strange Encounter was a gutsy winner at Navan last week and bids to follow up in the two and three quarter mile handicap hurdle this afternoon.

Preference, though, is for Dr Proctor who looked to run a nice race to finish behind Lookoutnow at Cork.

Emmet Mullins is pencilled in for the ride on Maggie Connolly in the mares hurdle and even though it is a year since she landed a maiden on this course, the Willie Mullins-trained runner should figure prominently.