• 16/03/2023
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Our Pertemps Final betting guide has all the top-class research and form analysis you need to find the best bets and tips for the ultra-competitive staying handicap hurdle on the Thursday of the Cheltenham Festival.

Final declarations have not yet been made for the Pertemps Final, but our experts have analysed all the key trends and cast eyes on the ante-post contenders.

The Pertemps Final usually provides one with the trickiest punting puzzles of the entire week and this year’s renewal looks no different. We’ve done all the hard work, so you know who to follow at the Cheltenham Festival 2023. 

Tip – WAKOOL 

Available at a big price, we think WAKOOL is in with a big chance here. Nick Alexander’s 7YO has put in some superb performance this season, most notably when winning the Rendlesham Hurdle last time out. He looks massively overpriced and we’re confident he’s a cracking E/W bet.

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Pertemps Final – Overlooked Outsiders

Last year’s Pertemps Final was won by 25/1 shot Third Wind, ridden by Tom O’Brien for trainer Hughie Morrison.

It was a thrilling finish to the race, with both Third Wind and Alaphilippe both in contention. But it was the former who just got his head in front when it mattered, eventually winning by a neck. 

Once the declared runners are announced, we will be going into depth with our tips for the key contenders in the Pertemps Final betting and the outsiders in the field.

The Pertemps Final is a race that can boast several outsiders on its roll of honour in the past two decades, including 50-1 shots Creon (2004) and Kadoun (2006), as well as, more recently, Holywell and Third Wind, who both returned at 25-1, with the former going on to win at Grade 1 level over fences.

Once the final field has taken shape and all up-to-date form has been analysed, we will release our Pertemps Final top tips, so make sure to keep an eye out.

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2023 Pertemps Final Runners + Odds – Thursday, 16th March 2.10

Horse/Form	Silks	Jockey/Trainer	Odds
Thanksforthehelp 22-341		J: Mark Walsh T: David Pipe	4/1
Maxxum 542110		J: Davy Russell T: Gordon Elliott	5/1
Walking On Air 1P-341		J: Nico de Boinville T: Nicky Henderson	9/1
The Bosses Oscar -42143		J: Ben Harvey T: Gordon Elliott	12/1
Good Time Jonny -P4030		J: Danny McMenamin T: A J Martin	11/1
Salvador Ziggy -11114		J: Aidan Kelly (7) T: Gordon Elliott	11/1
An Tailliur 121-23		J: Jonjo O’Neill Jr T: Jonjo O’Neill	11/1
Captain Morgs 5-2321		J: Sam Twiston-Davies T: Nicky Henderson	25/1
Hector Javilex 1-5414		J: Lilly Pinchin (3) T: Charlie Longsdon	16/1
Bear Ghylls 4/3744		J: Jamie Moore T: Nicky Martin	16/1
Coltor /P01-2		J: Kevin Brogan T: Roger Fell	16/1
Mill Green U233-3		J: Daryl Jacob T: Nicky Henderson	22/1
The Changing Man -11222		J: Brendan Powell T: Joe Tizzard	25/1
Itchy Feet P-4612		J: Sean Bowen T: Olly Murphy	25/1
Green Book 59-615		J: Charlie Deutsch T: Venetia Williams	25/1
Level Neverending -13423		J: Sam Ewing T: Gordon Elliott	28/1
Jet Of Magic 01223U		J: Harry Cobden T: Paul Nicholls	28/1
Wakool -17241		J: Conor O’Farrell T: N W Alexander	33/1
Glimpse Of Gala -32211		J: Gavin Sheehan T: Charlie Longsdon	33/1
Moka De Vassy 25-P53		J: David Noonan T: Jane Williams	40/1
Burrows Park -72134		J: Ned Fox (7) T: Venetia Williams	50/1
Risk And Roll 3-2386		J: Tabitha Worsley (3) T: James Evans	66/1
Takarengo 472658		J: Danny Mullins T: Thomas Mullins	66/1
Brandy Mcqueen 222117		J: Edward Austin (5) T: Harriet Graham & Gary Rutherford	100/1

 

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How to pick a Pertemps Final Winner

This three-mile handicap hurdle at the Festival often produces some fascinating battles for the honours.

It took its place at the Cheltenham Festival nearly 50 years ago, so there is a rich history of the fixture to look back on.

Digging through the stats to pick out key trends is the first step in formulating those Pertemps Final betting tips for 2023.

The first trend to spot is that only two of the last 10 editions has seen a winning favourite, and only three have delivered the odds in the previous two decades.

Last 10 Pertemps Winners Odds

• 2022 Third Wind 25/1
• 2021 Mrs Milner 12/1
• 2020 Sire Du Berlais 10/1
• 2019 Sire Du Berlais 4/1F
• 2018 Delta Work 6/1
• 2017 Presenting Percy 11/1
• 2016 Mall Dini 14/1
• 2015 Call The Cops 9/1
• 2014 Fingal Bay 9/2F
• 2013 Holywell 25/1

Of the last 20 winners of the Pertemps Final, 12 were home GB winners, with the rest being Irish challengers. 

Digging further into some trends involved with this race, just one of the previous winners of the fixture had won at 18/1 or bigger in their career (Third Wind bucking the trend last year), and each of them had gone at least once before over 3m trip or longer.

One interesting stat is that none of the last twenty horses had won exactly three career races before landing the Pertemps Final.

There had also been a break of between 12-76 days for each winner before delivering the score at the Cheltenham Festival.

Trends such as those above play a key part in putting together Pertemps Final betting odds, which is precisely what our betting experts will be doing.

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All About The Pertemps Final: Past and Present

The Pertemps Final is a Grade 3 handicap hurdle run on the Thursday of the Cheltenham Festival on Cheltenham’s New Course. The race was introduced in 1974 as a replacement for the George Duller Handicap Hurdle and has held its current name since 2002. 

Handicaps are races in which horses of different abilities carry different weights corresponding to the handicapper’s official rating. So, for example, a horse rated 145 would carry 1lb more than a horse rated 144, and 5lb more than one rated 140 and so on.

The first renewal was won by Katstrup, ridden by Graham Thorner and trained by David Barons. Willie Wumpkins completed a remarkable hat-trick in the race between 1979 and 1981 for amateur jockey Jim Wilson and Jane Pilkington. Buena Vista (2010 & 2011) and Sire Du Berlais (2019 & 2020) are other multiple race winners. The race has seen several future Grade 1 winners take the Pertemps Final trophy in recent years, including Holywell, Presenting Percy and Delta Work.

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How Do Horses Qualify for the Pertemps Final Race?

The Pertemps Final is unique amongst major races. A horse must finish in the first four in one of the various Qualifiers ran throughout the season to be eligible for the big race at the Cheltenham Festival.

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What is the Pertemps Final Prize Money in 2023?

The 2022 Pertemps Final had a total prize fund of £98,370, with £56,260 going to connections of the winner, Third Wind. £21,200 and £10,610 went to the second and third respectively, with prize money going all the way down to £340 for the eighth-placed horse.

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Pertemps Final Past Winners

Year	Horse	Odd	Jockey	Trainer
2022	Third Wind	25/1	Tom O’Brien	Hughie Morrison
2021	Mrs Milner	12/1	Bryan Cooper	Paul Nolan
2020	Sire Du Berlais	10/1	Barry Geraghty	Gordon Elliott
2019	Sire Du Berlais	4/1F	Barry Geraghty	Gordon Elliott
2018	Delta Work	6/1	Davy Russell	Gordon Elliott
2017	Presenting Percy	11/1	Davy Russell	Pat Kelly
2016	Mall Dini	14/1	Davy Russell	Pat Kelly
2015	Call The Cops	9/1	Andrew Tinkler	Nicky Henderson
2014	Fingal Bay	9/2F	Richard Johnson	Philip Hobbs
2013	Holywell	25/1	Richie McLernon	Jonjo O’Neill
2012	Cape Tribulation	14/1	Denis O’Regan	Malcolm Jefferson
2011	Buena Vista	20/1	Conor O’Farrell	David Pipe

Other races on Day 3 of the Cheltenham Festival

The Pertemps Final is the second race of the Thursday of the Cheltenham Festival, a card which features three Grade 1s, namely the Marsh Novices’ Chase, the Ryanair Chase and the Stayers’ Hurdle. Thursday also features the Paddy Power Plate, the Dawn Run Mares’ Novice Hurdle and the Kim Muir.

13:30 The Turners Novices’ Chase (Grade 1)

14:10 The Pertemps Network Final (A Handicap Hurdle Race) (Listed)

14:50 The Ryanair Steeplechase (Grade 1)

15:30 The Paddy Power Stayers’ Hurdle (Grade 1)

16:10 The Paddy Power Plate (A Handicap Steeple Chase) (Grade 3)

16:50 The Mares Novices’ Hurdle (Grade 2)

17:30 Fulke Walwyn Kim Muir Challenge Cup (sponsored by the JRL Group) (0-145)