Sire du Berlais after winning the Pertemps Network Final in 2020

Pertemps, the UK's largest recruitment agency, has extended its sponsorship of the Pertemps Network Final at The Festival™ for a further three years.

Having first supported the three-mile handicap hurdle back in 2002, Pertemps has now extended its sponsorship of the race until 2025.

From 2023 onwards there will be a change to qualification criteria for the Pertemps Network Final. Horses must now finish in the first four in any of the scheduled qualifiers to be eligible to run (rather than the first six as was previously the case). The number of qualifying races remains unchanged, with 20 qualifiers scheduled from November to February at venues across the UK, as well as in France and Ireland.

Highlights during Pertemps’ sponsorship so far include the dual winners Buena Vista (2010, 2011) and Sire du Berlais (2019 and 2020), while Delta Work (2018) and Presenting Percy (2017) both went on to enjoy Grade One success over fences.

Six of the last seven winners have been trained in Ireland, although their stranglehold on the race was broken in 2022 by Third Wind, who became the first Festival success in 20 years for trainer Hughie Morrison when triumphant at odds of 25-1.

Jon Pullin, Cheltenham’s Clerk of the Course, said: “I would like to say a huge thank you to Pertemps for extending its sponsorship at The Festival for a further three years.

“Pertemps is one of our two most longstanding sponsors at The Festival and this new agreement will see them reach almost a quarter of a century of sponsorship. Such long-term commitment is very much appreciated and has helped Pertemps become synonymous with one of the most competitive races over the four days.

“The Pertemps Network Final frequently features a thrilling finish and one thing that will not change with this new agreement is how challenging it is to predict the winner!

“Following a review of the race and the qualifying conditions in conjunction with the Jump Pattern Committee, it was decided that horses must finish in the first four in one of the qualifying contests to be eligible to run.

“This should hopefully improve both the competitiveness and field sizes of the qualifying contests as if horses don’t achieve a first four finishing position, then they will have to try again in another qualifier.”

Tim Watts, Lifetime President of Pertemps, commented: “I’m very proud that we have been involved with this internationally-known festival for so long and am looking forward to the years to come.

“The Pertemps series has allowed us to support racing across the whole of the UK, Ireland and France, and we have been rewarded with a final at the best Jump meeting of them all. During our involvement, the quality of the race has substantially improved, as demonstrated by the rising handicap marks required to run.

“We look ahead to many more years working hand-in-hand with The Jockey Club at Cheltenham.”

About Pertemps

Pertemps Network Group is one of the UK’s largest privately-owned recruitment agencies. It has a turnover in excess of £1bn and offers immediate and strategic solutions to clients across both the public and private sectors. It is made up of:

• Pertemps Ltd – established in 1961 and now with 200 nationwide branches, operating across a multitude of sectors and supplying diverse roles. The company also specialises in business process outsourcing, delivered using a wide range of solutions such as Master Vendor, Neutral Vendor and Recruitment Process Outsourcing
• Network Group – offering expertise across specific sectors, including IT, legal, finance, healthcare, education, security, medical, construction, manufacturing and engineering. 

About The Jockey Club

One of the largest sports businesses operating in the UK today (2019 turnover: £216.5 million), The Jockey Club is at the heart of so many aspects of Britain’s second-biggest spectator sport. We run 15 of the UK’s leading racecourses – large and local, where we’re charged with looking after some of the nation’s biggest events, including the Randox Grand National Festival at Aintree, The Festival at Cheltenham, The Cazoo Derby at Epsom Downs and the QIPCO Guineas Festival in Newmarket. We welcome thousands of racehorses a year to our training centres in Newmarket, Lambourn and Epsom. We run The National Stud in Newmarket and our charity, Racing Welfare, makes help available to all of racing’s people. We are governed by Royal Charter to act for the long-term benefit of British Racing and our Patron is Her Majesty The Queen.

 

For more information please visit www.thejockeyclub.co.uk.