King of Dudes held on after an enterprising ride from Luke Dempsey in the ten furlong handicap at Navan.

Dempsey, recording his first winner on the racecourse, got his mount to the lead from a wide draw and the pair were clear at halfway.

Tommy Carmody 's charge had the field struggling down the straight but Dempsey had to get to work over a furlong out.

The 14/1 shot's lead was ever decreasing inside the final furlong but he had enough up his sleeve to record a half-length victory over Eighteen Summers

The winning jockey is the son of trainer Philip Dempsey and was a former champion on the pony racing scene.

The 16-year-old is attached to Carmody's yard and was having his 21st ride on the track.

"It's great. Tommy told me to try and make all the running," revealed a delighted rider afterwards. "He held on well and kept going to the line."

(On course reporting by Alan Magee)