A multimillionaire property tycoon has failed in his 11th-hour legal bid to prevent his ex-wife getting half his £135 million fortune.

James Moore went to the Court of Appeal on Tuesday asking to have the case heard by a Spanish judge, after a lower court decided to allow his wife to pursue "financial relief" proceedings under English jurisdiction.

However after a three-hour trial Lord Justice Thorpe rejected Mr Moore's application, without hearing argument from Mrs Moore's lawyers.

The judge said the court would give its reasons at a later date, but the ruling ensures that the couple's case will now go ahead in England.

The 46-year-old property magnate who now lives in Marbella, Spain, founded Inside Track property investment company in 2001, and built his fortune through property investment and training.

His lawyers claimed his ex-wife, from Thames Ditton, to whom he was married for eight years, was using the English system to squeeze money from him.

Mr Moore's QC, Barry Singleton, argued Mrs Moore has consistently sought to pursue a financial application in the UK - despite a previous ruling that Spain was the forum for divorce, money and children.

Opting for an English judge was "tactically advantageous" for Mrs Moore, the QC argued, adding she had blocked attempts to proceed in Spain, which he termed blatant "forum-shopping".

Mr Moore had offered his wife a £6 million payment "enabling her to be maintained for life at the standard enjoyed in her marriage - and covering her reasonable needs", but Mrs Moore's legal team insisted she was entitled to half his fortune.

Mrs Moore, 44, has three children by her ex-husband.

The couple married in October 1998 and moved to Spain in 2003. They separated in December that year and a Spanish judge granted the couple a decree of divorce in March last year.

Mr Moore's website describes him as an "entrepreneur, property developer, deal-maker, visionary, and dedicated family man".

He is also described as an "inspired and committed entrepreneur", whose main goal has steadfastly been to "challenge convention and discover new ways of achieving commercial success".