Ballyhale Shamrocks are hot favourites in All-Ireland race

Ballyhale Shamrocks are runaway favourites to retain their title in January ahead of this weekend’s semi-final clashes in the All-Ireland Club Senior Hurling Championship.

Henry Shefflin’s side brought St. Mullins’ fairytale run in the Championship to end at the beginning of September with a comfortable 1-21 to 0-15 victory as they bagged their second consecutive Leinster title.

But a second All-Ireland crown in a row is also a hot odds-on shot at 1/4 from 2/7 with BoyleSports as they prepare to face off against Ulster Champions Slaughtneil in Newry on Sunday.

The Kilkenny outfit have been backed off the boards and are now 1/20 shots to progress to the final against the Derry side, while their opponents remain the rank outsiders of the four All-Ireland semi-finalists at 20/1 to go all the way.

The other semi-final on Sunday pits together Tipeprary’s Borris-Ileagh and last year’s beaten finalists St’ Thomas’ of Galway and with an intense betting heat in the run up to throw-in, neither side can be separated with both priced at Even money to prevail in Limerick.

They both face a 6/1 chance of dethroning Ballyhale as All-Ireland champions when the final takes place at Croke Park on January 19th.

Lawrence Lyons, spokesperson for BoyleSports said: “Ballyhale Shamrocks have dominated the All-Ireland betting all season and we will have plenty of disappointed customers if they don’t see it through. The other semi-final between St. Thomas’ and Borris-Illeagh is probably one of the closest affairs we’ve seen all season with bets completely split down the middle, so at this stage we can’t even call a favourite between the pair of them.”