Not even the defeat of Adopted Hero and Zimbabwe in the JCB Triumph Hurdle at Cheltenham yesterday could bring Gary Moore off cloud nine.

Still flying high after Tikram's win in the Mildmay of Flete Chase on Wednesday, Brighton trainer Moore was philosophical after Adopted Hero, with Tony McCoy in the saddle, could finish only sixth of the 23 runners in the premier hurdle race for four-year-olds.

Moore, with his wife Jayne, said: "He had a brilliant run round on the inside and ran a blinder.

"But he's a great big horse who is going to make a chaser one day. At least he picked up £1,200 for finishing sixth."

Stable companion Zimbabwe, ridden by Jamie Moore, one of Gary's three sons, made most of the running but faded to finish in the rear.

Gary said: "The soft ground was against him.

"If the race had been on Wednesday it might have been a different story."

Moore reported Tikram, ridden by Timmy Murphy in place of the suspended Jamie, was in great shape after his race.

"He ate up well when he got home and trotted out sound in the morning.

"Straight after the race I thought we might pack him up for the season.

"He has won £80,000, nearly twice as much as he cost and owes us nothing.

"But I might have another think about that as he seems to be in such great form."

Moore, 47, has been training for 12 years and has around 500 winners to his credit.

He said: "I had 18 winners in my first year, plus three in Germany and we've averaged 35 or 40 each year."

Since the turn of the year there have been 32 winners flat and jumping from the Woodingdean yard adjacent to Brighton racecourse.

The uphill gallops are parallel to the first part of the course and the schooling fences and hurdles close to home.

But Moore will always remember Tikram providing his first winner at the Festival.

He said: "It gave me a bigger thrill than any of the group race wins I've had on the flat."

McCoy won on Tikram at Fontwell in January and came down to Woodingdean to school him recently.

But he said: "Tikram is really Jamie's ride. He knows him so well and has done so much for the horse, winning on him at Fontwell last month."

Jamie's brother Ryan, a flat jockey who has been racing in Dubai this year, was with the family at Cheltenham.

He said: "Dad always said Tikram would win a big race one day.

"Tikram is a lovely horse. I have ridden him at home a few times, It is sad Jamie couldn't be on him."

As a jockey, Gary rode about 150 winners, many for his father Charlie, who died four years go.

He said: "I just wish dad was here to see it all this week, but my mum gets so much pleasure out of all the successes. I've been pretty pleased with the way things have gone recently."

The Moores saddle three runners at Fontwell on Sunday, ID Technology in the 2.20 and Ehab and Pardishar in the 4.05.

Paul Nicholls secured the Cheltenham Festival trainers' title for the second time when he saddled four winners.

The Ditcheat handler's wins came with Azertyuiop (Queen Mother Champion Chase) on Wednesday and a 799-1 treble yesterday through Earthmover (Christie's Foxhunter Chase), St Pirran (Grand Annual Challenge Cup) and Sporazene (Vincent O'Brien County Handicap Hurdle).