16:40DAY 3 · THURSDAY 18 MARCH 2027
CHELTENHAM FESTIVAL

PERTEMPS FINAL

A Pertemps Final guide covering qualification, staying hurdle form, handicap marks and why a qualifying run is only part of the evidence.

Premier HandicapAbout 3mNew CourseHandicap hurdle
Permanent race guide

The Pertemps gives punters a qualification trail to follow, and that trail can become a distraction. Finishing in the right place in a qualifier tells you something about eligibility. It does not tell you everything about ability, current wellbeing or the merits of the final handicap mark. Read the qualifying run as a performance before turning it into a story about intentions.

Qualification and getting a run are different

The Final is a staying handicap hurdle on the New Course, following a series of qualifying races. The organiser’s published 2025 changes described top-four qualification and protection from elimination for qualifier winners who are within the handicap at declarations.

Those details are season-specific. Check the current series conditions, qualifying status and final weights for 2027. A horse having qualified does not mean every possible ballot or eligibility issue has disappeared.

What did the qualifier reveal?

Watch the race without assuming a finishing position was deliberate. Was the horse suited by the pace and ground? Did it travel well before tiring, or stay on after the leading group had gone? Those are observations you can work with. Claims about hidden intentions are much harder to substantiate.

A beaten qualifier runner may be interesting if the Final offers a clear change in conditions. Identify that change precisely. More suitable ground or a stronger pace can form a case; “this has been the plan all year” does not measure the horse’s chance.

Return to the handicap and stamina

Compare the mark with the horse’s established hurdle ability. Then ask what evidence supports improvement. An inexperienced stayer may develop, while a seasoned handicapper may already have shown the level required. Neither profile should be preferred simply because it is fashionable.

The race still requires an economical trip through a competitive field. Settling, hurdling and holding a workable position can be as important as the final uphill effort. Your shortlist should explain how each horse reaches that finish with enough left to compete, not just why it appears attractively weighted.

Previous renewals

2026 WINNERSupremely WestView official result ↗
2025 WINNERDoddiethegreatView official result ↗

The 2027 runners

Declarations will settle the field.

The 2027 runners are not yet declared. A past winner or a horse quoted in an ante-post market is not a confirmed runner. Check entries, connections’ published plans and the final declarations before treating a horse as part of this field.

No live prices or confirmed 2027 runner list are presented in this guide. Reviewed 11 November 2026.

Your questions, answered

Does winning a qualifier guarantee a place in the Final?

The published protection introduced for 2025 applies to qualifier winners within the handicap at declarations. Verify the current season’s detailed conditions.

Should a beaten qualifier runner be ignored?

No. Assess the performance and the conditions it faced. A defeat can contain relevant evidence, but it is not proof of a hidden plan.

Sources & editorial notes

Reviewed 11 November 2026. Interpretation is Puntrr’s; factual results and conditions are linked below.

  1. Published 2027 Festival schedule
  2. Official course maps
  3. Official 2026 results
  4. Official 2025 results
  5. Official qualifier-winner protection announcement
puntrr.

The record. The reasoning. The full picture.

Cheltenham racecards ↗

Editorial information reviewed 11 November 2026. Illustrative hero artwork.

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