There was a summer feel to the Easter holiday weather and the atmosphere at Newton Abbot's second meeting of 2009, writes Nick Hearder.

A holiday traffic hold-up on the M5 made its mark as several jockeys failed to get to the course in time for the first race. Gerard Tumelty was one of those and Sam Thomas replaced him on Petite Fleur in the opening Winning Post Mares' Maiden hurdle – division one.

It was a lucky spare ride for Thomas as the mare passed favourite Minnie Hill at the last flight and went on to score by a length-and-a-quarter. The successful trainer was Julian Smith whose yard is at Tirley, Gloucestershire.

The second division provided the first leg of a double for champion jockey AP McCoy. He teamed up with Irish-based Gordon Elliot to win with Opatja.

Opatja started as the 8-11 favourite despite having her first run for more than six months.

McCoy secured his double on Galaxy Rock, another favourite, at 9-4. Jonjo O'Neill's charge completing a hat-trick when landing the South West Racing Handicap Hurdle over two miles six furlongs. This was much harder work for AP as the Victor Dartnall-trained The Apprentice appeared to have the race sewn up when going clear two out. The Apprentice slowed and Galaxy Rock responded to McCoy's urgings to win by a length from Son Histoire, who finished well and caught The Apprentice for second.

The feature race of the afternoon, and also the most valuable at nearly £7,000 to the winner, was the Sarah and Wayne Supporters Handicap Chase over three miles two-and-a-half furlongs.

Liam Treadwell, winning rider of 100-1 shot Mon Mome in the Grand National a week earlier, had another great ride on Down The Stretch, who made a gallant bid to defy top weight before finishing third.

Freeline Fury – ridden by Willie McCarthy and trained by Bernard Llewellyn – won at 7-1 despite making two mistakes in the closing stages.

Runner-up Dusty Dane, may have been unlucky. His saddle slipped when he was hampered at the fourth from home and his amateur rider Peter Toole rode the rest of the race without stirrup irons.

Toole had a memorable meeting as he had earlier taken the Amateur Riders' Selling Hurdle on Chunky Lad. The 15-2 shot came right away from his field to win by 17 lengths. Toole and Turner had also won at the first Newton fixture of 2009 with Ede'iff.

Philip Hobbs and promising jockey Rhys Flint combined to win the Teign River Handicap Chase with 4-1 favourite Huguenot.

Seamus Mullins, the Amesbury handler, had gone 52 races without a winner before taking the closing Paddock Handicap Hurdle with Well Green, at 11-2, who won by a nose from Makin a Fuss, trained at Totnes by Martin Hill.

The next meeting at Newton is on Friday, April 24 – first race is scheduled for 5.25pm.