Pertemps Network Final

As the name suggests, the Pertemps Network Final marks the culmination of a series of 14 qualifying races run over distances between 21 and 25 furlongs at various venues throughout Britain from late October onwards, from which any horse that finishes in the first four is eligible for the final. Formerly the Coral Golden Hurdle, the race was inaugurated in 1974, but has been sponsored by the Pertemps recruitment agency since 2002.

The Pertemps Network Final is run over three miles on the New Course and is currently scheduled as the third race on the third day of the Cheltenham Festival, a.k.a. St. Patrick’s Thursday. A typical Festival handicap – indeed, nowadays, a ‘Premier Handicap’, according to the British Horseracing Authority – the race has a safety limit of 24 and, from a punting perspective, is no easier to solve than any of the others.

The remarkable Willie Wumpkins, ridden by leading amateur Jim Wilson, scored an unprecedented hat-trick in 1979, 1980, and 1981, making Wilson, jointly, the most successful jockey in the history of the race alongside Davy Russell and Barry Geraghty. Local trainer Jonjo O’Neill, with four wins so far, is the leading handler.

Granted the competitive nature of the race, it should come as no great surprise that Sire Du Berlais (2019) was the only winning favourite in the past decade. That said, the Pertemps Network Final has not been a race for massive outsiders in recent years, with Monmiral (2024) and Third Wind (2022), who were both sent off at 25/1, the longest-priced winners since 2015.