Davy Russell was at his confident best when bringing home the locally-trained favourite Bertie Bell a winner of the Emma Carswell Miss Northern Ireland & Darren King Mr Ireland Maiden Hurdle at Downpatrick.

The winning margin achieved by the Brian Hamilton-handled Bertie Bell may have only been a length and a quarter, but observing the action in the two mile seven furlong heat one got the impression that Russell was always happy aboard the Kalanisi seven-year-old.

Brian Hamilton said: "It wasn't a vintage race and he loves that ground. We'll see what the handicapper does. Davy said he was always happy on him and he was travelling. He was always happy enough that he was going to win it and he jumped a bit better.

"Davy rode a winner for me before down in Gowran Park but he's a hard man to get. I raced against him at the start. He used to ride James Lambe's horses and the best thing he ever did was turn professional and I moved there to ride the point-to-pointers and won a championship."

Russell was gaining compensation having been edged out thirty five minutes earlier when runner-up on the John Paul Brennan-trained Our Brian who went down by a nose.

He was second in the opener too, on Henry de Bromhead's Simiel

C.D. Maxwell, rider of Hazinowings trained by Dermot Anthony McLoughlin, reported to the Clerk of Scales that his mount lost its action, stopped quickly and pulled up.

(MG & EM)