Davy Russell continued his rich vein of form with a hat-trick on Westmeath Stonemaster and Pittoni at Leopardstown.

Having completed doubles at Navan the previous two days, Russell went one better in the style of a jockey at the top of his game.

The Dessie Hughes-trained Stonemaster (4-1) provided Russell with the middle leg of his trio when capitalising on a last-flight fall by Psycho to open his account for the campaign in the Ballsbridge Hurdle.

Both Stonemaster and Psycho were about to challenge long-time leader Made In Taipan when Tony Martin's runner came to grief.

That left Hughes' charge, carrying the colours of Gigginstown House Stud, to pounce and overtake Made In Taipan to score by two lengths, with Catch Me a never dangerous third, 10 lengths away.

"It's nice to win with him as it's very hard for second season hurdlers. That was a good performance carrying his penalty," said Hughes.

"His options are limited between now and Punchestown as, apart from handicaps, there is only one race for him & ndash; that being a two-mile-six conditions hurdle at Cork.

"The idea was not to be too hard on him this season and he will be a proper horse over fences next season."

Westmeath (5-1), trained by Paul Nolan, gave Russell and Gigginstown a great start when booking his place in the Albert Bartlett at Cheltenham by taken the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Maiden Hurdle.

"It isn't the ideal preparation for Cheltenham, but he'll go there now," said Nolan.

"He hurt his back when disappointing at Ballinrobe and he wasn't right for a while afterwards. He's clearly right again now though and he jumped a bus at the first (he jumped it so well).

"He is probably better going this way around (left-handed) as well."

Pittoni brought up Russell's treble when making a winning debut over jumps in the www.leopardstown handicap hurdle.

The Charles Byrnes-trained 9-4 favourite galloped on strongly to beat Cass Bligh by two and a half lengths.

Byrnes said: "He did it well. He wants real soft ground & ndash; that's the key to h