Pertemps renews sponsorship of handicap hurdle series which culminates at The Festival

 Cheltenham Racecourse is delighted to announce the Pertemps Network Group has renewed and expanded its sponsorship of the Pertemps Series for a further three years.

The announcement of the sponsorship coincides with the launch of an ambitious re-brand of the Pertemps Network Group and the new group logo will be on display at racecourses featuring in the series.

The Pertemps Network Handicap Hurdle Series is the premier race series for staying handicap hurdlers.

Pertemps Group, the UK's leading independent recruitment company, is a longstanding Festival sponsor, having first backed the series in 2001/02.

For the 2013/14 season, the series consists of a record 20 qualifiers prior to the showpiece £80,000 final, run over three miles at Cheltenham on March 13, 2014, St Patrick's Thursday and day three of The Festival.

Scotland and Wales are added to the list of qualifiers in 2013/14, as Musselburgh and Chepstow join the line-up, meaning qualifiers are now set to take place in England, Scotland, Wales, Ireland and France. Both Musselburgh and Chepstow approached organisers requesting to join the Series, highlighting once more the reputation the event now has of being the leading handicap series of the season.

There are also changes to several of the UK dates in an effort to balance the volume of qualifiers across the season between North and South.

In an important change that reflects the increasing competition to gain a place in the Final, the race conditions for the 2013/14 season have been tightened. Horses must now finish in the first eight of a qualifier to be eligible for the final.

Last season, Jonjo O'Neill become only the second trainer to win The Festival final three times when Holywell was successful.

Tim Watts, lifetime president of Pertemps, said: "We have a long and proud history of sponsoring the Pertemps Network Handicap Hurdle Series and I am delighted that the relationship is set to continue.

"The final at Cheltenham Festival is one of the highlights of the British racing calendar and it has been a source of enormous pleasure to watch the series grow into the truly European race series that it is today.

"We have been treated to some fabulous racing since Pertemps first became involved in 2002 and I expect this season's series to be as competitive as ever."

Peter McNeile, head of sponsorship at Cheltenham Racecourse, added: "I am very pleased that Pertemps has renewed its association with Cheltenham Racecourse for the 13th consecutive year.

"The Pertemps Network Handicap Hurdle Series is now fully established as the leading handicap hurdles series of the season. Last season's winner of the final, Holywell, went on to finish second in the Grade One John Smith's Liverpool Hurdle at Aintree, which just demonstrates the quality of the horses that participate in the series.

"The addition of Musselburgh and Chepstow to the series in February has strengthened the qualifying races, which start here at The Showcase on October 18."

Notes to Editors

The full list of qualifiers is as follows:

Cheltenham - Friday, October 18, 2013

Aintree - Sunday, October 27, 2013

Auteuil - Sunday, November 3, 2013

Kempton Park - Monday, November 4, 2013

Newbury - Friday, November 29, 2013

Sandown Park - Saturday, December 7, 2013

Carlisle - Sunday, December 15, 2013

Cagnes sur Mer - Monday, December 16, 2013

Wincanton - Thursday, December 26, 2013

Leopardstown - Sunday, December 29, 2013

Cagnes sur Mer - Sunday, January 9, 2014

Warwick - Saturday, January 11, 2014

Pau - Sunday, January 16, 2014

Huntingdon - Friday, January 24, 2014

Punchestown - Sunday January 26, 2014

Musselburgh - Sunday, February 2, 2014

Pau - Sunday, February 2, 2014

Exeter - Sunday February 9, 2014

Haydock Park - Saturday, February 15, 2014

Chepstow - Saturday, February 22, 2014

Final

Cheltenham Festival - Thursday, March 13, 2014

About Cheltenham Racecourse

Cheltenham Racecourse is situated in Prestbury on the outskirts of the historic spa town of Cheltenham. The Home of Jump Racing, Cheltenham Racecourse is the venue for the world's pre-eminent Jump Racing meeting, The Festival, which takes place in March every year. Set against the beautiful backdrop of the Cotswolds, Cheltenham Racecourse is a stunning natural amphitheatre and offers the highest-quality action throughout the Jump season.

Cheltenham Racecourse is part of The Jockey Club, which has been at the heart of British racing for more than 260 years. Today the largest commercial group in the sport, The Jockey Club runs the largest racecourse group in the UK by turnover (2012: £142.1m), courses (15) including those at Aintree, Cheltenham, Epsom Downs and Newmarket, attendances (2012: 1.8m), total prize money (2012: £35.3m), contribution to prize money (2012: £16.5m) and quality racing (Group and Graded races); more than 3,000 acres of world-class training grounds in Newmarket and Lambourn; The National Stud breeding enterprise and education provider; and the charity for racing's people in need, Racing Welfare. Governed by Royal Charter, every penny The Jockey Club makes it puts back into British racing. More information is available at www.thejockeyclub.co.uk.