Tony McCoy had to survive one bad jump on the 13-2 winner, who was never going to be denied up the hill even though Tikram made him fight for the first prize of £29,000 (€43,500.

Afterwards Pipe enthused: “At last we’ve got him in front. He did make that one mistake just when he was coming into the race, but ultimately the extensive schooling we’ve done with him since he ran at Aintree has paid off.”

Pipe, who will run at least three in Saturday’s Scottish Grand National, including last year’s runner-up Stormez, was told by one wag that the title is more or less sewn up.

But he retorted: “Nothing is in the bag yet. There is still a lot of racing to go and one big-race success such as the Betfred (Gold Cup, formerly the Whitbread) can swing things completely around.”

Pipe and McCoy went on to complete a 66.5-1 treble when odds-on chance Celestial Gold landed the April Novices’ Chase by a length and a quarter from L’Aventure, and Lough Derg finished strongly to take the concluding Concord Quality Filing Products Juvenile Novices’ Hurdle.

Of Celestial Gold’s triumph, Pipe said: “He jumped well over a shorter trip than the four miles at which he was second at the Festival, although he was a bit keen early on. This will help David Johnson in his bid to land the owners’ title.”

Following Lough Derg’s victory, Ladbrokes closed their book on the trainers’ title.

“We went 1-10 this afternoon but Lough Derg’s win was the final nail in the coffin,” said Balthazar Fabricius.

Nicky Henderson drew a rare blank at the Cheltenham Festival, but he was on the mark in the Telectronics Systems “National Hunt” Auction Novices’ Hurdle.

Copsale Lad gradually eroded the lead of Grey Report to wear down and then hold the renewed challenge of that rival by half a length under Mick Fitzgerald.

Henderson cannot wait to put Copsale Lad over fences and said: “He’s a big horse for whom the hurdles are more of a nuisance than a help and he’s been wasting his time over them.

“My plan was to aim him at the EBF Final at Sandown, but it was a bog that day and he was never happy. He’ll make a lovely chaser next year.”

Timmy Murphy, successful on Hi Cloy in the Powers Gold Cup at Fairyhouse yesterday, was on the mark again when steering Flying Trix to a half-length success over Midnight Gunner in the Freephone Stanleybet Handicap Chase.

Winning trainer Mark Pitman hopes his 5-1 favourite will develop into a Grand National horse and he said: “I’ll start him off in long-distance staying chases next season as it’s always been an ambition of his owner Pat Bancroft to win the National and it was he who owned Esha Ness (winner of the void Grand National).

Philip Hobbs can look forward to a bountiful summer with Xellance following the length-and-a-quarter triumph of the gelding in the Mitie Group Handicap Hurdle.

This was a fine training feat by Hobbs as it was the seven-year-old’s first outing since October and the trainer may be tempted to run his 10-1 winner on the Flat.

His wife Sarah Hobbs explained: “He’s a summer horse who goes on good fast ground and will be among our team of 50 for the summer jumping, although there is a possibility of him running over two miles plus on the Flat as hurdling doesn’t seem to have taken away any of his speed.”

The Freephone Stanleybet Novices’ Handicap Hurdle proved a race of fluctuating fortunes with Vodka Bleu appearing to hold an unassailable advantage at the entrance to the straight.

However, the leader began to tire on the run to the final flight and was overhauled up the hill by My Line and Parsons Legacy, who beat him by three-quarters of a length and one and a half.

My Line, 9-1, was following up his Ayr success for Mary Reveley and answered Andrew Thornton’s every call on the run in.