Garde La Victoire completed a Cheltenham Open meeting far beyond the expectations of Philip Hobbs and Richard Johnson as his StanJames.com Greatwood Hurdle victory made a total of six winners across the three days for the trainer and seven for the jockey.
Friday had started with a treble, and the combination took two of the most prestigious of Sunday's events, with Dunraven Storm showing admirable battling qualities in the Racing Post Arkle Trophy Trial Novices' Chase.
Hobbs stressed Garde La Victoire (10-1) was not in the league of one of his previous winners in the Grade Three handicap, subsequent Champion Hurdler Rooster Booster, but the strong prize money here sees the trainer sitting at the top of the championship standings.
"Richard came back and just said 'this isn't a dream is it?'," said Hobbs.
"It's unbelievable. I can't remember having six winners at any meeting so we'll enjoy it while it lasts.
"Realistically it's the whole team at home. Without the staff at home nothing happens.
"We probably haven't got the ammunition of some of those going for the trainers' title, but winning these big prizes certainly helps."
Johnson said: "It's amazing. To come there thinking you might have one winner is great and anything more than that is a bonus."
Garde La Victoire, who is just out of novice company, had warmed up with a third at Aintree and held off Nicky Henderson's top-weight and 7-2 favourite Vaniteux by a length and a quarter.
Hobbs said: "I think he would have won at Aintree the other day except for his jumping.
"He'll stay over hurdles this season. He's only five, so I think we'll do that. The fact that he settled better helped his overall performance. He's 20lb off being a Champion Hurdle horse.
"He'll be going in big handicap hurdles and chasing next season."
Johnson had Dunraven Storm up with the pace from the outset and kept going up the hill to hold off the late-challenging Vibrato Valtat by a length and three-quarters.
Hobbs said: "He's a typical Presenting. He doesn't really want soft ground, but there were very few other places to go and we targeted this for some time.
"He should have gone chasing three years ago, but he had a problem with a suspensory on a hind leg. He had a year off due to that.
"He could go two and a half, so either the Arkle or the Jewson would be options."
Johnson rounded off his domination when guiding home the Steve Gollings-trained Definitly Red (2-1) in the High Sheriff Of Gloucestershire's' Listed bumper.
Uxizandre (15-8 favourite) relished the drop back to two miles when making all the running to lift the Shloer Chase.
All the better for finishing fourth in the Old Roan Chase at Aintree on his reappearance three weeks ago, Alan King's charge kept all challengers at bay and pulled away nicely on the run-in to beat Simply Ned by a length and three-quarters.
A delighted King said: "He was really good and his jumping was marvellous.
"We'll enjoy today and I'll talk to connections to see where we go. We do have to go left-handed. We might go to Ireland (Dial-A-Bet Chase), but we'll talk about it."
Henderson was finally off the mark for the meeting in the Sky Bet Supreme Trial Novices' Hurdle.
His grey Vyta Du Roc (3-1) had a lot of work to do turning for home with Emerging Talent setting a relentless pace but Barry Geraghty managed to pull past Sam Twiston-Davies' mount right on the line to take the Grade Two prize by a neck.
"We're just warming up, and I thought it might be the same again," said Henderson.
"This horse had a few niggles and we found him two ordinary races in the spring.
"This was the next target, and he's a Graded winner now so we'll just have to find our way through the season. He'll jump fences one day."
David Pipe achieved another notable first in the Brian Kilpatrick Conditional Jockeys' Handicap Hurdle, with Unique De Cotte (7-2 favourite) his first success for owner JP McManus.
Pipe said: "He's our only horse for JP. He had a tendon problem and I'm very pleased he sent him back to us," said Pipe.
"We did fancy him today and it's lovely to win this race - I think we might have had a bit of help from above from Brian (long-standing owner in the stable), and his family are here today."
