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2026 Pertemps Network Final Handicap Hurdle

Eggs said:
….Minella Sixo of interest for me but he’s a bit of cliff horse (suspect others might feel similar).

Only thing with these late qualifiers is whether Pertemps Final was a plan or an afterthought. Saying that, I notice Will the Wise won the race last year and ran ok at the Festival.
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I think he's a very good bet nrnb.

If he qualifies, I think he'll be kennedys ride, as Gordon's only other entrant who's qualified is Staffordshire knot, who'll be carrying a big weight and you'd imagine they'll claim off him. If kennedy is on him, can't see him going off anywhere near 33/1.
 
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Odddog said:
Bold Endeavour festival form:

2023 5th in Coral Cup off 140
2024 4th in Pertemps Final off 143
2025 DIdn't run - farmed out to Luke Morgan to get his rating down ;)

He came 3rd in the Huntingdon qualifier off 130 and has been left on that mark. Bits of 25/1 around for him.
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Won 6 out of first 9 starts then subsequently 0/15, not finishing off on several occasions. He isn't an improver, hasn't won over hurdles for more than four years, and at 10, it's surely a big ask to even get close to what he did two years ago? That qualifier was a six runner, very slow race, run at a track that is chalk and cheese to Cheltenham. The handicapper left him unchanged.
 
kinloch brae said:
Won 6 out of first 9 starts then subsequently 0/15, not finishing off on several occasions. He isn't an improver, hasn't won over hurdles for more than four years, and at 10, it's surely a big ask to even get close to what he did two years ago? That qualifier was a six runner, very slow race, run at a track that is chalk and cheese to Cheltenham. The handicapper left him unchanged.
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Sounds like you fancy him
 
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kinloch brae said:
Won 6 out of first 9 starts then subsequently 0/15, not finishing off on several occasions. He isn't an improver, hasn't won over hurdles for more than four years, and at 10, it's surely a big ask to even get close to what he did two years ago? That qualifier was a six runner, very slow race, run at a track that is chalk and cheese to Cheltenham. The handicapper left him unchanged.
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Sounds a bit like Doddiethegreat last year?
 
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Odddog said:
Sounds a bit like Doddiethegreat last year?
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And Monmiral the season before.
Won his first 5 starts. Was rated 153.
then went 0/10
And won off 138.

It's like it's a thing.
 
Melbourne Shamrock did that well, but might need a bit of Irish tax to get in the final
 
Jack looked to be doing everything he could not to win there and he still nearly got up.
 
riccirich said:
Jack looked to be doing everything he could not to win there and he still nearly got up.
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….33-1 NRNB has gone but bits of 25-1 still there, some as low as 16s.
 
My only worry is that this qualifier is plenty close enough to the final itself. The going looked testing enough too. Will The Wise finished 8th in the final last year after winning the Naas qualifier but I think I'd be wanting to look elsewhere for the winner, it feels too close to the final.
 
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Odddog said:
My only worry is that this qualifier is plenty close enough to the final itself. The going looked testing enough too. Will The Wise finished 8th in the final last year after winning the Naas qualifier but I think I'd be wanting to look elsewhere for the winner, it feels too close to the final.
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Will the wise was 6th, not beaten too far, just over 7 lengths.

I would be a bit worried though I agree, the placed horses last year did nothing in the final either. Will the wise was carrying 13lb more at cheltenham though which was a big hike so I'd say that harmed his chances too.
 
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Just think Supremely West & Electric Mason have the best form line for this. Have been chipping away at those 2 for a while now.
 
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Speedy17 said:
Just think Supremely West & Electric Mason have the best form line for this. Have been chipping away at those 2 for a while now.
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I don't disagree, but do you not think Yeah Man has been neatly plotted to this en route to the National, we know he's rated 10lb higher over fences.
That Red Mills run was just about the perfect prep to get him qualified and was bang there with graded 2 milers two out.
I'm sure there are a few others ahead of their mark in his but this one has to enter the conversation....
 
Istabraq said:
I don't disagree, but do you not think Yeah Man has been neatly plotted to this en route to the National, we know he's rated 10lb higher over fences.
That Red Mills run was just about the perfect prep to get him qualified and was bang there with graded 2 milers two out.
I'm sure there are a few others ahead of their mark in his but this one has to enter the conversation....
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Not sure I a) trust that horse and b) trust the stable this year. Also think Yeah Man will want it fairly soft and that's not a guarantee. Supremely West has been laid out for the race, and Electric Mason is a young improver. They both just seem the likeliest winners to me!
 
This season I'm more for the unexposed horses, rather than the plotted ones. Absolutely Doyen, C'Est Different, Champagne Chic, Duke Silver and Kikijo floating my boat on first glance. Wait for the weights and try and pick up some info from the previews but these are the ones I currently like. Didn't start the deep studying yet though.
 
Speedy17 said:
Also think Yeah Man will want it fairly soft and that's not a guarantee.
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Interesting, one of the reasons I have played already is that I think he is one horse who isn't ground dependent, has some serious performances (mostly chases granted) on decent ground...
 
After the final qualifier here are the qualifiers in handicap mark order. I have added 3lb to the Irish marks. There are 24 spaces available which at first glance makes Ike Sport / Keable last on the list. However, there are a few adjustments to be made :
1) Keable will get a rise in the weights on Tuesday morning for winning on Saturday. This is likely to be at least 3lb and so will move him up the rankings by a few spaces.
2) Melbourne Shamrock will get a mark on Tuesday that will take into account his win at Naas today. He is likely to get a few lbs on top of any UK tax. This is likely to move him up to around the 130 mark and likely in the weights. Even if it doesn't then he will still get a place being a winner as long as i) Impose Toi isn't declared and ii) Staffordshire Knot's rating is not more than 28lb higher than his.
3) Yeah Man only has an Irish mark of 123. With a typical 3lb tax he would only be on 126 and would miss out. However, earlier in the season he was entered in a GB hcap and given a mark of 133 by the GB handicapper who places more credence on chase ratings than his Irish counterpart. It is unlikely that this would have been adjusted downward significantly so it is likely that he would get in.
4) Duke Silver has an Irish mark of 126. If given a UK mark of less than 130 then he would still get a place as long as Impose Toi did not run and Staffordshire Knot's rating was not more than 28lbs higher.
5) Minella Emperor was 2nd last week off a UK mark of 129. The winner was given a rise of 7lb and based on this then Minella Emperor should get at least a 2lb increase, taking him to 131 which would be sufficient to get him a run.

Based on the above I would expect the lowest GB horse to be Bold Endeavour in space 20 on a mark of 130 with the additional 4 places going to the first four horses listed above (my assumption is that Impose Toi will not run and Staffordshire Knot's rating will be less than 155). Onewaywest would be the first horse to miss out on a mark of 129. Of course, any non declarations / scratchings above him would see him run.


1 Impose Toi 159
2 Staffordshire Knot 152
3 Gowel Road 146
4 Electric Mason 139
5 Ace Of Spades 139
6 Supremely West 135
7 Kikijo 135
8 Absolutely Doyen 135
9 Red Dirt Road 134
10 Letos 134
11 Classic King 134
12 Millstream Lady 133
13 Ikarak 133
14 Lavida Adiva 133
15 Idy Wood 132
16 Minella Emperor 132 (UK mark was 129 but will be reassessed for his 2nd last week - based on the winner he should get at least a 2lb rise to 131)
17 Minella Sixo 132 (Rated 129 in Ireland and Sunday 2nd needs to be reassessed plus a UK tax very likely to be fine).
18 C'est Different 131
19 Champagne Chic 131
20 Bold Endeavour 130
21 Duke Silver 129 (Rated 126 in Ireland. If rated below 129 would still get in if within 28lb of top weight as a qualifier winner).
22 Onewaywest 129
23 Idem 128
24 Ike Sport 127
25 Keable 127 (Saturday win to be assessed)
26 Yeah Man 126 (given a UK mark of 133 previously)
27 Lihyan 126
28 Beachcomber 126
29 Turndlightsdownlow 125
30 Melbourne Shamrock 124 (Sunday win to still be assessed)
31 Eyed 122
32 Ambion View 122
33 Ontheropes 121
34 Tranquil Sea 119
35 El Capitaine 119
36 Small Town Hero 118
37 Found A Diamond 117
 
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