Big move for Sivola as Walsh makes choice

Leading bookmaker Coral has updated the betting on the two races that form the centrepiece of their inaugural sponsorship of Irish racing, the Coral.ie Hurdle and Coral.ie Leopardstown Chase, following the final declarations for Sunday's Leopardstown card.

In the former, Buiseness Sivola is the 8-1 (from 20-1) joint favourite along with After Rain, after Ruby Walsh chose to ride the 5-y-o rather than the previously gambled on Kalkir — eased to 10-1 (from 7-1), while Fine Rightly heads the Leopardstown Chase market at 4-1.

To mark Coral's debut Irish racing sponsorship, and their introduction to the Irish online market, the firm is offering a €100,000 bonus to any horse who wins the Coral.ie Hurdle and the Coral Cup at March's Cheltenham Festival, a double completed by Xenophon in 2003.

"Everyone at Coral is looking forward to our inaugural sponsorship of these two historic races and our partnership with a racecourse of the stature and heritage of Leopardstown. To that end we have agreed with the racecourse to give the Handicap Chase back its historic race title, and be known once again as the Coral.ie Leopardstown Handicap Chase. In the coming years we are determined to work with Leopardstown to raise the profile and appeal of these great races even further," said Coral's David Stevens.

"Kalkir was the big ante-post mover in the Coral.ie Hurdle betting, but with Ruby Walsh opting to ride Buiseness Sivola, that one has been all the rage, with the 20-1 soon disappearing, and he could well now start clear favourite on Sunday," added Stevens.

**Coral.ie Hurdle

**Coral.ie Leopardstown Chase