Mountain Kingdom (7/4f) kept on well on the run-in to oblige in the opening maiden hurdle over an extended two and a quarter miles in Downpatrick.

The five-year-old gelding had been second in his two previous races at Perth but made no mistake today as he proved too strong after the last for Simiel

The winning margin was two and a quarter lengths back to Simiel (3/1).

Local trainer Colin McBratney said: "The owner deserved it and the horse deserved it. I've only had him - John Larkin has done a great job getting him to settle and to get him where he got him. I took him to Perth twice and we bumped into one the last day that was rated 98 on the flat.

"The last day here I just thought he didn't get up the hill but Paul (Townend) was very confident all the way round that he was going to get up the hill. I think that is the first winner Paul has ridden for me. He's a good man to have on your side.

"The last meeting in Perth is at the end of September and he'll either go there or go to Navan on the 24th and then probably go back for a novice in Perth."

Owner Cathal McGovern is from Newry, Co Down and owned Ballyholland who the trainer said "gave me the best day of my life".

Ballyholland won the Galway Plate in 2009 for McBratney and McGovern.