Moore hopes in historic £20,000 Frosts4cars Brighton Challenge Cup

Gary Moore aims to collect a birthday present with a debut success in the historic £20,000 Frosts4cars Brighton Challenge Cup at the three-day Brighton Festival next week (August 6-8).

The Frosts Ladies' Day feature at the meeting has seen mares triumph in it for two years in a row through Ethics Girl (2012) and Sussex-trained Beacon Lady (2013).

But Moore, 58 next Thursday, is confident his gelding Whinging Willie has a 'live chance' in the featured mile- and-a-half handicap.

His daughter Hayley, an amateur rider, rode the five- year-old to victory in the ladies race at the 2013 meeting on the corresponding day.

And the track's leading trainer over the past five years, who has bases in Brighton and Lower Beeding, has nominated stable apprentice Hector Crouch to take the ride.

Moore, father to superstar pilot Ryan, told Brighton and Hove Independent: 'Whinging Willie handles the track well and goes well on fast ground, which I expect it to be. He has come on since Hayley rode him last year and has a live chance.

'Hector won on him at Newbury recently and scored a victory on Elsie Bay at Brighton a couple of weeks ago.'

Moore runs Good Luck Charm in the £20,000 John Smith's Brighton Mile Challenge Trophy, another historic renewal, on Day One.

His five-year-old is owned Heart of the South and bred by John and Caroline Penny, who are part of the Sussex owners group.

He said: 'Again, I feel he has a live chance too.'

Moore is likely to face tough opposition from leading Yorkshire handler Mark Johnston.

Johnston has a good record at the Festival, especially in the Brighton Mile.

He has won the Mile three times in the past five years with My Gacho (2009), Licence To Till (2010, dead heating with Lastkingofscotland) and Party Royal (2013).

Johnston told the Brighton and Hove Independent: 'I don't have Party Royal any more but I'm sure to have runners. There's good prize money. I've got a decent record down there.'

Angmering's William Knight, the leading trainer at the 2013 festival, has gone from hero to zero.

Knight was the county handler who saddled Beacon Lady last year, but revealed he has no entries next week.

He said: 'It's unfortunate as we won the champion trainer there last year. We've hardly had any runners at Brighton this year. I've got three-year-olds who should be going there but they want soft ground and there hasn't been much of that at Brighton.'

Ron Harris could be looking for a successive hat-trick in the Betvictor App Brighton Bullet sprint on the third and final day.

The Chepstow trainer has won with Prodigality (2012) and Noverre To Go (2013).