THERE was an enthusiastic crowd for Newton Abbot's Halloween-themed Family Day, the last meeting of the 2025 season, and it proved a good afternoon for trainer Anthony Honeyball and jockey Sam Twiston-Davies who landed a double with Breaking Cover and Crest Of Stars, reports David Hucker.

Two horses dominated the betting for the opening South West Rail Solutions Ltd Novices' Hurdle over two and three-quarter miles with A Pai De Nom, a course and distance winner last month, just touched off as favourite by Gentleman Toboot, third in the bumper at the meeting last year and having his first run after wind surgery.

The market got it spot on as they fought out the finish with Gentleman Toboot, who was receiving weight from his rival, taking over from leader Tommy Pickles turning into the home straight and finding the better turn of foot after the two had jumped the last flight together.

Top-weight Spirits Bay was taking a drop-in class in the Itus Events, Safety And Security Conditional Jockeys' Handicap Hurdle (Challenger Two Mile Hurdle Series Qualifier) and he had no trouble in defying his burden of 12-2, less Toby McCain-Mitchell's 3lb claim.

Easing into the lead on the home turn, Spirits Bay saw off this only challenger, The Hardest Geezer, with a good jump at the final flight to win by 1½ lengths and give trainers Nigel & Willy Twiston-Davies their 24th winner of the season.

Breaking Cover, who had already won four times this season, including twice over the course, added to his tally when taking the South West Rail Solutions Ltd Handicap Chase by 15 lengths from Bond Broker. Sent into the lead by Twiston-Davies at the penultimate fence, he put his experience to good use, coming right away from the free-running Bond Broker, who ran well on only his second run over the bigger obstacles.

Trainer Emma Lavelle and jockey Harry Cobden, who teamed up with a winner at Cheltenham on Saturday, struck again with J J Moon in the Class 3 Compwiz Solutions For Business Handicap Hurdle.

Four had jumped the second-last flight together, but with King Of The Lake and Kayf Dancer dropping away, it was left to J J Moon and Ambion View to battle it out with the Lavelle-trained runner proving the stronger on the run-in.

Royal Jewel headed the market for the South West Rail Solutions Ltd Handicap Chase over two miles and five furlongs and he became another winner for Somerset-based Philip Hobbs and Johnson White whose stable is getting into top gear for the season. Front-running Joe Cotton looked to be in control approaching the final fence, but he was collared by Royal Jewel on the run-in who ran out a comfortable winner in the end.

The season came to an end with the Celebrating Tony Collier's 63Yrs Dedicated Service Open Maiden NH Flat Race and Crest Of Stars, one of only two horses with racecourse experience, made all the running to complete a double for the Honeyball/Twiston-Davies combination beating newcomer Makingplansfor and the running-on Soldier Reeves.