Davy Russell is making Leopardstown his own today and he made it three wins and a second from four rides when getting Pittoni home a convincing winner of the www.leopardstown.com Handicap Hurdle.

This seriously well-bred son of Peintre Celebre and Key Change was of course a winner over track and trip in the Grade 1 Spring Juvenile Hurdle over a year ago. He was strongly-fancied to bounce back from a disappointing effort in the November Handicap here on his last run and he did so in style from Cass Bligh

A winner here in the familiar Paddy Wilmott silks, Charles Byrnes said of his charge: "He did it well. He wants real soft ground – that's the key to him. He is not going to Cheltenham, the ground wouldn't be soft enough for him. He is more likely to go for another handicap before the end of the season."