Laws Of Spin returned to form to land the valuable Irish Stallion Farms EBF Petingo Handicap at Leopardstown.

The Lawman gelding was a progressive stayer last term winning here and completing a hat-trick in the Irish Cesarewitch at the Curragh.

Willie Mullins' charge hadn't hit the same heights in three outings this season but put that right here at odds of 14/1.

Chris Hayes brought the four-year-old with a sustained run in the straight getting up in the closing stages to beat the staying on Machine Learner by a head. Clongowes was edged out close home finishing a neck further back in third, with Artful Artist just a short-head away in fourth.

Mullins said, “It was raining when I was driving up and I thought this horse had no business coming here. The ground is obviously a lot better than we anticipated. He needs good ground, while Renneti would prefer it soft.

“He's disappointed us all year and we've kept running him in these handicaps. At the end of last year we thought he might get up into Group class and maybe make a Melbourne Cup horse. Maybe he's an autumn horse.

“I'd say he'll go for the Cesarewitch. The longer trip will suit him and he just wants good ground.”