Kilderry Prince battled well to land Downpatrick's maiden hunters chase by a neck.

Conor Brassil put up his declared possible 2lb overweight but was seen to good effect on board the nine-year-old gelding.

The 4/1 shot had just too much for Willow Grange (8/1) with a 17 length gap back to third-placed Theatre One (11/1).

Owner Ken Duggan said: "He ran here last October on softer ground and took it up too soon and just got collared on the line so we said to Conor to hold on to him as long as you can but you can see how he jumped.

"He jumped to the front and fair play to Andrew and Dave Reardon and another chap in Kilkenny who is an osteopath who have been working on him since last year. He's a different horse.

"He won his point-to-point this weekend last year, he has won on that kind of ground. He's been running on bad ground all winter and running well.

"He ran in Thurles and he's 10lb higher over hurdles and he was only beaten 10 lengths over two miles. He doesn't jump a hurdle as well as he jumps a fence.

"He was second in Tramore and is after running well twice here so he likes quirky little tracks. I still don't think the finish here suits him as he's not an out and out stayer but his jumping is just electric.

"The plan was to hold him up in fifth or sixth but as Conor said he just jumped well. I asked Conor what he was like jumping and he said 'Oh My God'. What a spin (he gave him)."

Trainer Andrew McNamara was in Cork and said: "Jack Kennedy rode him over hurdles the last day and said he'd be spot-on for the next day and while he wasn't able to ride today, we had an able sub in Conor Brassil.

"He'll mix it between hurdles and fences for the summer."