Pertemps’ Handicap Hurdle Tips – Day 3 – Cheltenham 2015

The ability to stay a strongly-run 3m is in demand in the first handicap facing punters on day three of the Cheltenham Festival, namely the Pertemps Final Network Handicap Hurdle (2.05) – a race that has a habit of throwing up big priced winners.

Favourite or Big Price?
Only the 9/2 favourite, Fingal Bay, interrupted the run of double-figure priced winners last year, a sequence that included winners at 20/1, 25/1 and 50/1. Should lighting strike twice, though, then there are three runners currently vying for 8/1 favoritism in Call The Cops, Edeymi and Regal Encore.

Call The Cops and Regal Encore both come into the race having won last time out, with the former picking up a 5lb penalty for winning impressively at Doncaster a few weeks back (3m, good).

This 6yo showed improvement for the step up in trip that day, and the forecast good ground at Cheltenham will be ideal.

The 7yo, Regal Encore, also won over 3m last time, when staying on well to beat Alaivan (14/1) by 3l, and was also well suited by the drying ground that day and both he and Call The Cops head to the festival with solid credentials.

Third Time Lucky For Edeymi?
Edeymi meanwhile, represents Tony Martin, who sends his 7yo here for the third time having been runner-up in the Fred Winter in 2012. He races off the same mark here, and shaped with promise at Musselburgh (3m, good) last time, keeping on to finish fourth on what was only his second run since August 2013.

As a 7yo, Edeymi still has time on his side, and his rating of 135 could prove handy based on past renewals…

Trends Summary

Of the last 10 Pertemps winners…

10 were 6-10yo’s – 5yo’s were 0-20
10 were Irish or British-bred
9 were non-favourites
9 were officially rated 142 or lower
9 had a maximum of two handicap hurdle wins
7 had four runs or fewer in handicap hurdles
6 returned 14/1 to 20/1
D Pipe won it twice

The above stats highlight the poor record of 5yo’s in the race, which may put some backers off the likes of Dawalan (12/1), who is from that age-group, and also rated quite high on 150, while another 5yo, Aqalim (16/1), will also need to overcome the age trend.

Pipe For Unique Treble?
Others rated possibly too highly include the Big Easy (10/1) and Brother Brian (12/1), though one at the right end of the handicap is David Pipe’s, Unique De Cotte, who made all the running to win a valuable Ascot handicap last month (2m4f, soft). The only concern is the trip, as this 7yo was beaten 11l at odds-on over 3m prior to Ascot.

Pipe, who has won this twice before, also has Batavir from a low weight, who won a couple of 2m6f handicaps in December, prior to flopping over 3m at Doncaster (good) a few weeks back. He has a few questions to answer following that.

Don’t Foregt Jonjo
Jonjo O’Neill also won this two years ago and has Join The Clan, an improving winner of his last two races, who was last seen recording a career best at Wetherby 40 days ago (3m, soft). This 6yo handles faster ground and he looks to have been put aside for this.

Recommended Bets
There was a lot to like about how Call The Cops quickened to win over this trip at Doncaster last time (3m, good) and he looks well treated carrying just a 5lb penalty.