The Pertemps Network Final Handicap Hurdle

[The King Pimm]

Does anyone know where I could find a list of horses that have already qualified for this seasons Pertemps final??

[squiggsy68]

Looks like Rebecca Curtis has the Stayers in mind for LO rather than the Pertemps going by quotes after Saturdays race:

"I thought Lisnagar Oscar would run a stormer then [at Warwick], but we did treat him for ulcers, which he suffered from badly last year. Whether they affected him at Haydock I don't know, but I always hoped he'd be a Stayers' Hurdle horse. We took a chance today and we'll come back for that in March. He'll come on for that and I think he'd be better on better ground. He fell only two weeks ago, so Adam thought it was about getting his confidence back and these races suit him better than big-field handicaps because he's not the biggest - Rebecca Curtis, trainer."

[Saxon Warrior]

Pertemps Hurdle Selection

The phrase ‘a lot of water has run under the bridge’ will spring to mind as you read this post, as it’s a wildcard selection for the Pertemps Hurdle this season based on the shrewd career of a famous man, who hasn’t had a jumps runner in britain for four years.

The man in question is Dermot Weld, and his last great foray to the Festival came in 2015 when Windsor Park (owned by the Lambe family in their well known purple silks with a yellow cross of lorraine and cap), romped to victory by over 3 lengths in the Ballymore.

2010
I am diving back five years earlier than that to the 2010 Festival for my link to the 2020 Pertemps.

The horse in question was Prince Erik, trained by Dermot Weld, owned by the Lambe family, and a handy recruit to hurdles from the flat. He was 6th in the Irish Derby and rated over 100 on the flat in 2007, but by 2009 the flat rating was down to 82, and after an earlier relatively unsuccessful hurdling campaign (ran unplaced in 2008 Triumph) in December 2009 he rolled into Leopardstown for:-

A 3 Mile Handicap Hurdle, he came third, off a mark of 111 and earned an RPR of 126.

Dermot Weld then tried Prince Erik in a Leopardstown 3M Pertemps Hurdle Qualifier at the end of January
OR 114, and blasted home by 6 lengths, with an RPR of 140.

He ran next in the Pertemps Final at Cheltenham, the English handicapper gave him an OR of 137 for that race (up 26lb in 11 weeks).

He ran a cracking race at the Festival in the Pertemps Final, finishing 2nd of 24 to the runaway winner Buena Vista, the field having given up too big a lead to catch him.

2020
Now, roll forward 10 years to December, Leopardstown at Christmas again, and in the Lambe colours trained by Dermot Weld is a horse called Dalton Highway.
A 7yo, rated 86 on the flat, but with a new lease of life in his recent runs, with three Flat handicaps of 2M yielding three improved ratings and a win and two seconds, including a 2nd of 20 to WPM’s Great White Shark in the Galway Festival over 2M1F.

His hurdles runs started in early 2019, I’ve watched them all, over 2M twice, and 2M4F twice, all in fields of 19 to 24 runners, buried in the back half of the field and running through late on after appearing too far off the pace, and a little outpaced when asked to make headway, prior to his last run at Christmas in A Leopardstown Handicap (ring any bells?).

Low and behold Christmas at Leopardstown 2019 he runs in a handicap Hurdle (over 2M4&1/2F)
off an OR 111 (ring any bells?)
and puts up an RPR of 126 (ring any more bells?)
when staying on well from mid-division in another big field, to win by 2&1/2 lengths, doing much his best work on the run-in.

His hurdles form is now 000-51
The Irish handicapper has raised his mark 8lb to 119.
Dermot Weld has entered him in the Pertemps Qualifier at Mussleborough on Sunday (when all eyes will be on the DRF in Ireland).
The British Handicapper has given him an opening OR of 127 (8lb UK tax) this morning which I initially thought was a little harsh.
But thinking again, maybe DKW will be happy with that, as you need mid-130s to get into the Pertemps Final, so on reflection he would need to win or be a clear 2nd off OR 127 to get into the Pertemps. If he was rated closer to his Irish mark of 119 then his job would be harder to raise his handicap mark to get into the Pertemps.

A lot of water has passed under the bridge since the days of Prince Erik and Windsor Park at the Festival, but Dermot Weld is still no back-number, winning the Irish St Leger with a new star filly in September.

It’s an interesting entry, in Mussleborough, remembering the stable have had no British jumps runners for four years, the same owner silks as Prince Erik’s and the uncanny identical OR and RPR at Christmas in a Leopardstown Handicap Hurdle that Prince Erik and Dalton Highway shared.

We know what Prince Erik did next, a 6 length romp in a late January Pertemps Qualifier and then 2nd in the Final at the Festival.

Dalton Highway was entered yesterday in a Pertemps Qualifier in Mussleborough (there isn’t one in Ireland nos until 19th Feb), with a mark that gives him a chance of making the Final if he were to win or come a close and clear 2nd. There are currently only 12 entries.

I thought this may be worth a look so I had him added to B365, and the initial 40/1 went within a few minutes, even before I knew that he had been added to the market!

Now a current 33/1 Dalton Highway could be worth a look if he takes up his entry. If he doesn’t and you had struck a bet in Hope, then you could always look at any cashout offered by the firm.

[jono]

Loved that post SW.
Can't say I've watched any of the horses runs but I'm going to now! Top post

[punterorplonker]

These are welds cheltenham results..........


Date Race Horse Position SP £100 win £50 each way
13 Mar 2012 1:30 Cheltenham GALILEO'S CHOICE 7/19 6-1 -100 -100
14 Mar 2012 1:30 Cheltenham DAFFERN SEAL 6/19 20-1 -200 -200
15 Mar 2012 2:05 Cheltenham PRINCE ERIK 10/24 25-1 -300 -300
16 Mar 2012 1:30 Cheltenham HISAABAAT 2/20 20-1 -400 -150
16 Mar 2012 4:00 Cheltenham MERCHANT ROYAL 7/22 15-2 -500 -250
15 Mar 2013 2:05 Cheltenham HISAABAAT 20/28 25-1 -600 -350
12 Mar 2014 2:40 Cheltenham WAAHEB 20/28 20-1 -700 -450
12 Mar 2014 5:15 Cheltenham SILVER CONCORDE 1/22 16-1 900 510
12 Mar 2014 5:15 Cheltenham VIGIL 5/22 5-1 800 410
11 Mar 2015 1:30 Cheltenham WINDSOR PARK 1/10 9-2 1250 680
11 Mar 2015 2:40 Cheltenham HISAABAAT 14/25 20-1 1150 580
11 Mar 2015 5:15 Cheltenham VIGIL 5/23 8-1 1050 480
15 Mar 2016 1:30 Cheltenham SILVER CONCORDE 14/14 16-1 950 380
16 Mar 2016 1:30 Cheltenham VIGIL 6/11 16-1 850 280
16 Mar 2016 5:30 Cheltenham FIRST FIGARO 9/23 16-1

[Saxon Warrior]

Loved that post SW.
Can't say I've watched any of the horses runs but I'm going to now! Top post

Cheers Jono, they are all in massive fields, mostly novice hurdles where the favourites go off in front and the rest trail them at a discrete distance. He looks outpaced when asked, but maybe as he needs 2M on the flat to show his new improved consistency best, then 2M and 2M4F hurdles just won’t suit compared to a step up to 3M.

His last run was very revealing, almost getting caught up in another horses fall and narrowly avoiding being brought down or halted. The way he stayed on at the end had me thinking - “ this is why they have the Pertemps entry.”

Then when looking back at the trainers stats a story emerged that I could put together for my Forum friends. Very spooky the two horses, ten years apart having the same OR and race RPR in the Christmas Leopardstown handicap hurdle runs,

[Penzance]

Pertemps Hurdle Selection


Now a current 33/1 Dalton Highway could be worth a look if he takes up his entry. If he doesn’t and you had struck a bet in Hope, then you could always look at any cashout offered by the firm.

Brilliant post!

[Saxon Warrior]

Thanks Penzance, I was gobsmacked when I stumbled on the identical OR/RPR stats with Prince Erik, that’s when the story was born.

[Rhinestone_Cowboy]

Enjoyed that post SW, will be intrigued to see what he's priced up at for the race on Sunday and may back him for this race before then

[Joleg]

Top Post SW, a well constructed point, lots of eyes will be on the race at Musselburgh with a view to backing

[charlie]

That’s top work SW.

[BigChaang]

Great post Saxon , I remember i backed Silver Concorde in the champion bumper - 2014.

[Saxon Warrior]

Great post Saxon , I remember i backed Silver Concorde in the champion bumper - 2014.

Yes, I recall not believing that he went off as big as 16/1.

[Aldie1988]

Great Work Saxon.

[ComplyOrDie]

Yep, really good write up that.

Getting me almost putting my money down, I can see it happening shortly!