Today's Racing Tips: Mark Milligan's best bets from Beverley and Lingfield on Thursday at up to 9/1

Beverley, 14:45 - Back Kaiulani Spirit E/W @ 9/110.00

6 (2)

Kaiulani Spirit

• J: David Allan
• T: Tim Easterby
• F: 675

• SBK 7/1
• EXC 1.81

Tim Easterby won this nursery last year and I'm taking him to land it once again with a two-year-old who comes into the race with a very similar profile.

Rum Therapy had had three runs in maiden/novice company before her 2025 success in this race and Kaiulani Spirit has trodden the same sort of path to the contest this year. The son of Caturra showed a bit on debut when sixth to Sydney Grace on debut and that form was franked by the third winning on his next start.

It's probably fair to say that he hasn't really built on that in both his starts since, where a lack of early pace seems to have found him out a little at both Catterick and Leicester. With that in mind, the application of first-time blinkers for this nursery debut and the return to a stiffer track could well be the catalysts for an improved showing from the selection.

Provided he's a bit sharper early on in the new headgear, Kaiulani Spirit has what should be a good draw in stall two and he looks worth an each-way stab.

Notable winners from Mark in recent weeks

Pure Passion @ 9/2
Galen @ 4/1
Edward Sexton @ 7/2
Free World @ 3/1
Archers Bay @ 3/1
Influencer Man @ 11/4
Asia Force @ 5/2

Beverley, 15:15 - Back Ariane Sky @ 13/82.63

1 (4)

Ariane Sky (Ire)

• J: Mason Paetel
• T: James Owen
• F: 5541

• SBK 13/8
• EXC 1.02

Another nursery follows and Ariane Sky has a much more obvious chance in this for a James Owen stable that continues to fire in the winners.

Having shown ability on when fifth on debut in a maiden that ended up working well, Ariane Sky was a little too green to build on that when occupying the same position at Chepstow on her next start. More could probably have been expected when she stepped up to 7f for her third start, but she could only run to a similar level in fourth, albeit in another contest that didn't work out too badly.

However, she'd clearly learnt plenty in that trio of outings and was much improved when making all to land a nursery at Ffos Las a couple of weeks ago, form that was subsequently given a boost by the third winning a similar contest subsequently.

Ariane Sky seems well suited by making the running and Beverley is a track that often rewards such tactics, so she could well get the run of the race from a good draw in stall four.

Lingfield, 19:58 - Back Stoney Wood @ 15/28.50

7 (6)

Stoney Wood (Ire)

• J: Callum Shepherd
• T: Michael Bell
• F: 085

• SBK 17/2
• EXC 1.81

To complete a trio of nursery bets, we're heading to Lingfield for the final race of the day and an interesting handicap newcomer from the Michael Bell stable.

The Bell yard has a good record with both two-year-olds and older horses making handicap debuts in the last few seasons and Stoney Wood looks to have been brought along with that very much in mind.

The selection has had the obligatory three runs in non-handicap company, showing little on the first two of those, but there was definitely more in his most recent outing in a novice at Southwell. Having settled into a mid-field position early, Stoney Wood made steady progress under just a hands-and-heels ride to finish fifth, leaving the impression that there was more in the tank should it be required.

That educational ride won't be lost on him as he makes his nursery debut here and hopefully we can finish off the day in style with another winner.

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