2024 Pertemps Final Handicap Hurdle Trends

The Pertemps is often a minefield. Qualifiers take place for the race throughout the season, and there can be a lot of different form lines to weigh up. We've highlighted the trends you need to watch out for in the Pertemps, to help solve one of the Cheltenham Festival's toughest puzzles.

The last 10 winners:

• Were aged between 5-8
• Had won no more than five hurdle races
• Had run at least twice that season, five winning
• Finished in first three in one of their last six races
• Last ran no more than 76 days ago - i.e. in December
• Last ran in a hurdle race - nine last running in a handicap hurdle

Nine of the last 10 winners:

• Had won on a galloping track (exception Mall Dini 2016)
• Were officially rated 139 or higher (Mrs Milner was rated 134)
• Carried at least 10st 10lb to victory (Mrs Milner carried 10st 9lb)
• Had won no more than two handicap hurdles (Good Time Jonny won three)

Eight of the last 10 winners:

• Were NOT sent off favourite in the betting on the day (Fingal Bay and Sire Du Berlais defied this)
• Had never won a Graded race; exceptions Grade 1 winner Fingal Bay (2014) and dual Pertemps winner Sire Du Berlais (2020)
• Had not run in more than six handicap hurdles (Sire Du Berlais 2020, Mrs Milner 2021)
• Had never run in the Pertemps Final before (dual winner Sire Du Berlais and Third Wind, who was fourth behind him in 2020)

Seven of the last 10 winners:

• Had never won a Graded race; exceptions Grade 1 winner Fingal Bay (2014), dual Pertemps winner Sire Du Berlais (2020) and Grade 2 winner Third Wind (2022).

Key Trials from the last 10 years

To run in the 2024 Pertemps Final at the Cheltenham Festival, horses must have finished in the first four in one or more of the qualifying Pertemps Hurdle Series races. Up to last season, they only had to finish in the first six.

Four of the last 10 winners (Mrs Milner, Sire Du Berlais, Mall Dini and Presenting Percy) finished between fourth and sixth in the Leopardstown Pertemps Hurdle Race on December 28. 2020 winner Sire Du Berlais again ran in the Leopardstown race before his second Pertemps Final win, but could only finish ninth. The 2023 winner Good Time Jonny was third in this race.

Three of the last 10 winners (Delta Work, Mall Dini and Presenting Percy) finished third or fourth in the Punchestown Pertemps Hurdle Race in January/February, though this now takes place in November.

2022 winner Third Wind qualified by finishing third in the Warwick qualifier.

Trainer Trends

• Jonjo O’Neill leads the way with four wins in this contest, but only one of those (2013) has come in the last decade.
• The form trainer is undoubtedly Gordon Elliott who has won three of the last six editions of the race and saddled the 2023 second.
• Pat Kelly and David Pipe have each won the raced twice, Kelly doing so with only two runners, earning himself a 100% strike-rate!
• Trainers based in Ireland have won the seven of the last eight renewals.

Jockey Trends

• No jockey currently riding has won the race more than once.

How did the trends do last year?

Good Time Jonny was a good trends pick as he had finished third in the famous Leopardstown qualifier that always does well in the Pertemps Final. He was a bit more exposed than previous winners, with six handicap hurdle runs and three wins - none of the 10 previous winners had achieved more than two, if any. Nonetheless he was an obvious candidate on trends.

Who Fits The Trends Best In 2024?

Four contenders standout on trends: Springwell Boy, Bold Endeavour, Gowel Road  and Cuthbert Dibble. This quartet tick all the key trends boxes and all the less solid trends.

Springwell Boy, who has won a handicap hurdle at Cheltenham, might just be the best trends pick, but the remaining trio all have strong claims. None of these horses are trained in Ireland.

Whilst not a perfect trends fit, Gaoth Chuil, second in the valuable Leopardstown qualifier, looks the best from Ireland.

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2023 Pertemps Final Handicap Hurdle Result