LEADING trainer Dan Skelton was in double-winning form at Newton Abbot, including taking the feature race of the afternoon, the £15,000 Par Inn Handicap Hurdle, to make it 80 winners for the season as he chases down Martin Pipe's all-time record of 243, writes David Hucker.

Skelton had chosen Edelak, a four-time winner already his season, in the feature and he was sent off favourite ahead of Ellerton, a comfortable winner from his sole rival at the last meeting. Conceding 16lbs in weight to Ellerton, the front-running Edelak was never headed, coming home seven lengths clear of his rival with Arctic Voyage a short ahead away in third.

Moment Of Light, a winner of two all-weather races when trained by James Owen, was all the rage in the betting ring for the opening Sky Sports Racing Juvenile Hurdle. Now with Skelton, his task was made easier when Uttoxeter winner Hello Garda unseated Paddy Hanlon at the start, but he won as a 2/5 favourite should, jumping past course winner Timely Salute at the penultimate flight to win comfortably, with Jerseygeordie, the only other one to make a race of it, back in third.

Explode, lightly raced over hurdles but a winner twice on the flat this summer, made it two winning favourites in a row in the following Race Against Waste Maiden Hurdle. Ridden by Harry Cobden for trainer Faye Bramley, he took advantage of a mistake by Irish-trained Crystal Mariner at the last flight to win by ¾ length and give his Lambourn-based trainer her eighth winner of the season.

The first of the two chases on the card was the St. Austell Brewery Handicap Chase in which three-time hurdles winner Saint Polo was sent off the 7/4 favourite to open his account over fences. He could only finish third as Juggernaut, ridden by Chad Bament, went past Miss Denver at the second-last fence to give Dorset trainer Anthony Honeyball his third winner from his last four runners.

My Girl Katie, three times a course winner this season, was preferred to top-weight Jager Time in the betting for the longest race of the afternoon, the Devonport Royal Dockyard Social Club Handicap Hurdle over an extended three and a quarter miles.

However, neither could match Cartmel winner Fairlawn Skipper. who took over from leader Jager Time early in the home straight, putting in a good jump at the final hurdle to run out a comfortable 4¼ length winner, setting up a double for trainer Mickey Bowen who was on the mark again with Sir Carnegie at Perth twenty minutes later.

Mr McWhinny became the fourth winning favourite of the afternoon when adding to his Market Rasen win in the Grandad Swales Happy 80th Birthday Conditional Jockeys' Handicap Chase, easily handling a step up in distance to beat My Cullen by seven lengths, before Ocean Heights, owned and trained by David Pipe, took the closing Sun Racing Summer Jumps Championship Novices' Limited Handicap Hurdle, beating top-weight Mother Ship and favourite Ghost Jury.