Race 2 · St. Patrick's Thursday · Thursday, 12 March 2026 · ~2:10pm
Pertemps Network Final Handicap Hurdle
Live betting odds for the qualifier series final — 3m 80y · Grade 3 · Old Course
Live betting odds for the qualifier series final — 3m 80y · Grade 3 · Old Course
Compare the latest odds for the Pertemps Network Final. The most unique route to Cheltenham — updated as St. Patrick's Thursday on 12 March approaches.
Leading racing analysts, journalists and tipsters share their views on the 14:00 novice handicap chase on St. Patrick's Thursday 2026.
Ruby Walsh
"I think this race is made for Koktail Divin. I don't think he'll get the trip in the Brown Advisory."
Lydia Hislop
"Meetmebythesea will win this. This is my strongest opinion of the entire meeting."
Tony Mullins
"One I fancy here is Sixmilebridge. He looks to me to be nicely handicapped for a Grade One winner already and he's reliable. Three runs over fences and he's won all three of them."
Johnny Dineen
"Meetmebythesea might be a 150-rated horse himself. I think he's a great chance."
Sportingnews.com
Regents Stroll is a consistent and sound jumper with previous experience in competitive fields — showing an ability to combine pace and stamina.
Racing Post
Paul Kealy split between Jordans Cross and Koktail Divin; Tom Segal also backs Koktail Divin; David Jennings prefers Regents Stroll.
Betfair — Mark Milligan
Each-way play on Ben Solo at massive odds: "The Rebecca Curtis-trained seven-year-old won on just his second start over fences at Chepstow, and the form of that race looks rock-solid — the second, third and fourth all won next time. Based on that, Ben Solo could end up significantly better than a 129-rated performer."
The Pertemps Network Final is one of the most distinctive races in the Festival calendar — a handicap hurdle final for horses who have qualified through a series of qualifying races held throughout Britain and Ireland during the season.
The qualifier system means that every runner in the Pertemps Final has earned their place through a specific qualifier race — a selection process that effectively identifies horses who have been identified by their trainers as Festival-quality performers over three miles. This creates a field of genuinely competitive horses who are all fit, well and have been specifically targeted at the Festival.
The combination of a qualifier-only field and the three-mile trip on the Old Course produces a race with a very specific participant profile. Horses who have won their qualifier — particularly in impressive style — have the best credentials, while those who qualified by finishing second or third in their qualifier but who have subsequently improved may be better than their market position suggests.
The Pertemps Final has a strong tradition of providing each-way value at bigger prices, partly because the eclectic nature of the qualifier system means that horses from smaller stables — whose connections have specifically targeted this race — can sneak under the market radar at double-figure prices that underestimate their true ability and preparation.
