Continuity is the secret of successful sponsorship, and a major Irish hurdle race which started life as the Irish Sweeps and then became the Ladbroke will have only its third change of sponsor in 32 years as it comes under the aegis of Pierce Contracting Ltd.

Ged Pierse, the company chairman, whose first sponsorship was associated with the late John Harty, announced in Dublin yesterday that the event would now move to a Sunday (January 14th) and would have a £100,000 prize fund.

In order to maximise its appeal for Irish owners of handicap hurdlers, there will be a weight range of 1-140 for entrants, and if horses handicapped above 136 drop out, the top weight will be limited to 11st 10lb and the bottom weight will be 9st 10lb.

Pierse Contracting are continuing their sponsorship of the Leopardstown Chase on the same day, and overall they will be supporting Irish National Hunt Racing in 2001 to the tune of almost £350,000.

A sign of things to come is a ballot in every race at Thurles this afternoon, where Mary's Madera is napped to win the Tipperary Maiden Hurdle in the hands of 7lb claimer Mark Sullivan.

The partnership finished third at Galway to Decisive Action. Although the chance of Decisive Action is obvious in the following race, the Holycross EBF Hurdle, the 7lb penalty may swing this race in favour of Woodenbridge Natif.

His form ties up with this year's Cheltenham Festival Bumper as he was runner-up at Wexford to Be My Royal.

On the subject of Cheltenham, albeit the most recent fixture, Michael Morris had his biggest winner of the year through the medium of Foxchapel King. Now that his stable has come back to form Alcapone would look a betting opportunity in the opener.