Pertemps Final Handicap Hurdle

Race Conditions

The Pertemps Final (Handicap Hurdle) is a Class A listed hurdle run over three miles. It is open to horses aged five years old and upwards who have qualified for the final. The total prize fund is £80,000.

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Recent Winners

The Pertemps Final is another major betting heat and there are always rumours flying around that certain horses have been laid out specifically for the race. One thing that is certain, though, is that there will be a monster gamble on the morning of the race, often on an Irish runner. However, it's worth noting that two of the last five winners were priced at 50/1.

In order to participate in the race, all runners have to have competed in one of the qualifying races that are run throughout the year in Britain and Ireland. Those races do provide some form clues, but it is often not the winners that should be focused on, but those horses who might improve for running on different ground or at a different track, or who are simply better handicapped or in better form than they were when the qualifiers were run.

Year	Horse	Age	Trainer	Odds
2008	Ballyfitz	8	N A Twiston-Davies	18/1
2007	Oscar Park	8	D W P Arbuthnot	14/1
2006	Kadoun	9	M O´Brien	50/1
2005	Oulart	6	D Hughes	10/1
2004	Creon	9	Jonjo O’Neill	50/1
2003	Inching Closer	6	Jonjo O’Neill	6/1F
2002	Freetown	6	L Lungo	20/1
2000	Rubhahunish	9	N Twiston-Davies	8/1
1999	Generosa	6	J Hassett	12/1
1998	Unsinkable Boxer	9	M Pipe	5/2
1997	Pharanear	7	D Nicholson	14/1
1996	Great Easeby	6	W Storey	7/1
1995	Miracle Man	7	C Weedon	9/2F
1994	Tindari	6	J Jefferson	20/1

Key Trends

Only 1 winning 5 year-old in 34 runnings of the race.

12 of the last 16 winners had previously won over 3 miles.

Watch the 2008 Pertemps Final:

2007 Review

A thrilling finish, with most of the runners still in with a chance as the field bypassed the second last on the run downhill for the final time. It was here that the eventual winner OSCAR PARK took over, travelling strongly. However, he looked as though he was going to be past on the run in by Material World only to pull out more in the final 50 yards.

This was only Oscar Park’s second run for trainer David Arbuthnot, and the horse’s first success since he won his first four starts under rules in 2004/5. He may go chasing next season.

Material World seldom runs a bad race and is one of the toughest mares around. In seventeen starts she has never finished worse than fifth and has only been out of the first three twice. She lost an eye in her younger days to a fungal infection, but it has never seemed to hamper her progress up the hurdling ranks.

The incredible, evergreen Adamant Approach was third. He desperately deserves to win a race at the Festival, but he just failed again here at the fifth attempt. He was ridden to get the trip and was always travelling well towards the back of the pack. He looked the likely winner turning for home, but never quite got to the leaders, possibly because his stamina was stretched to the limit. This was arguably a career best effort at thirteen years of age.

Another Festival favourite, Rhinestone Cowboy, threatened at one point to get involved in the finish, before fading back into the pack. He came out of retirement this season having recovered better than expected from a career threatening injury, but whilst he seemed to enjoy himself here he clearly isn’t the force of old.

Last year’s winner, Kadoun was never in contention.

2006 Review

For the second time in three years the race produced a shock winner, as KADOUN followed in the footsteps of another JP McManus runner, Creon, by taking the Pertemps Final at bookmaker friendly odds of 50-1.

Formerly a decent chaser, Kadoun had seemed to lose his way of late, but a return to hurdles clearly sparked a return to form. The combination of the longer trip and the decent ground were also contributing factors.

Despite being near the head of the handicap, he never looked like being caught after hitting the front two out, even though there were a host of horses still in contention at that point.

Hordago chased the winner all the way to the line and his form at Cheltenham now reads 112 from three starts.

Oodachee completed a 1-2-3 for the Irish to confound those trainers who had argued before the Festival that Irish runners were more harshly handicapped than their counterparts from the mainland.

Liberman was a fast finishing fourth to once again show a glimpse of the ability he first displayed when winning the Festival bumper in 2003. He beat the likes of Trabolgan and Cornish Rebel that day but has been plagued by inconsistency since and is hard to catch right. He absolutely flew up the hill and, having finished sixth in this race last year, seems to save his best for the Festival.

Freetown is another old stager who seems to love Cheltenham in March. He won this race in 2002 and was a very creditable fifth here, having travelled well for a long way.

Incredibly, the 2003 winner, Inching Closer, was sixth, with last year’s winner, Oulart, eighth, proving once again how valuable previous Festival form is in assessing any horse’s chances in these races. For Liberman, Freetown and Inching Closer this was by far their best performance of the season on a track they each clearly love.