“I’d imagine he might be hard to beat,” said trainer John Joe Walsh in advance of K.W.D. Kingdom Gold Cup Premier Handicap and 2/1 favourite Davids Charm didn’t let him down under Chris Hayes at Killarney.

The Milan gelding won a Grade A handicap hurdle in the past, but he hasn’t always enjoyed the rub of the green on the big days.

However it came together nicely for the eight-year-old on this occasion and though runner-up Dalton Highway didn’t go down without a fight, a length split them at the line.

Two and a half lengths back in third then was Golden Spear

"He needed that as he was very unlucky at the Curragh and also had no run in the Galway Hurdle. The conditions suited today although Chris (Hayes) said he'd prefer free-er, looser ground as it was tacky," said Walsh.

"He got messed at the start and halfway through in the Galway Hurdle and was never settled. He likes daylight and doesn't like being messed around too much.

"His next stop will be Listowel for the E100,000 handicap hurdle on the Friday."

(TW & EM)