Sunday’s Racing Tips – Morning Air can keep the good times rolling for Venetia Williams

Jeriko Du Reponet ran an okay race at Newbury but finished fifth and not close to the winner. Cairnzy's combi tricast didn't come up trumps either as Mystical Power ran a stinker, but Sir Gino was brilliant and showed what a weapon he was and if they keep him over hurdles, he'll be a real player in the 2m division in the big Grade 1 races in the new year.

November p/l:

Cairnzy (+6pts)

Rizzel (-9.2pts)

Morning Air 13/8 – Leicester 2.40

A bit of faith is required to back Morning Air on her hurdling debut for Venetia Williams, but in this juvenile contest it doesn't look like it will take much to win from a newcomer with the horses who have form over obstacles not exactly lighting the world on fire.

Venetia Williams and Charlie Deutsch are in superb form at the moment, and it's not a great surprise as this is the time of year that this combination does extremely well and when the ground becomes very testing, that's when you normally see the best of their horses. Morning Air is a recruit from France, which is quite common for this yard and given she was a decent horse on the flat when in France on testing ground, this looks like a nice opportunity for him to convert to a hurdler with Leicester having heavy ground.

The pedigree of Morning Air gives plenty of optimism that the transition to jumps will be like a duck to water. He is related to a jumps winner and is by the Sire Doctor Dino who has produced the likes of Sharjah and State Man, with many other top class jumps horses in his progeny.

Given she is a mare, she also gets the mares allowance, which could be crucial on testing ground as she will be carrying 7lbs less than all of the opposition in this. I don't think it will come down to small margins, as this field doesn't look too strong, but if it does, then the weight difference could be the winning factor.

Jumper Madrik 7/4 – Leicester 2.50

Another horse I'm willing to take a chance on is Jumper Madrik, who you'll need to take a bigger leap of faith than Morning Air.

It's no secret I like when trainers change things up for horses on their handicap debuts, and that is what is happening with Jumper Madrik in today's race. He has shown very little in his three hurdle races to date, with the form reading 7th/13, 11th/13 and 10th/10, but they've not wasted any time in sending him over fences, which seems a bit too coincidental for my liking.

It's always a bit dodgy going for a JP McManus horse as you don't always get the run for your money, but off a basement mark of 79 and given they are going straight over fences for his handicap debut, as well trying an extra 4f, it seems like we've not seen anywhere near as much ability that this lad possesses. He is 7/1, and any money in the market would be a good indicator, so maybe it's best to wait till the morning of the race.

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