Today's Racing Tips: Mark Milligan's four best bets for Thursday's action

Bath, 15:15 - Back Brilliant Star @ 9/43.25

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Brilliant Star

• J: Robert Havlin
• T: John & Thady Gosden
• F: 2-1154

• SBK 6/4
• EXC 2.62

This listed contest is very much a standout on Bath's card and Brilliant Star will come into it fresher than most having not been seen since finishing a good fourth in the Ribblesdale at Royal Ascot back in June.

John & Thady Gosden's filly started the season with a pair of wins at Yarmouth and Kempton in the spring and a feature of those successes was how well she saw things out.

With that in mind, she didn't look ideally suited by a drop in trip when contesting the Height of Fashion Stakes at Goodwood following those two wins, but was very much back on track when upped to 1m 4f at the Royal meeting.

That form sets a decent standard in here and a further step up in distance to 1m 6f looks sure to suit a filly who seems to have stamina in abundance.

Notable winners from Mark in recent weeks

Blue Brother @ 9/1
Asia Force @ 6/1
Star Of Mali @ 11/2
Zgharta @ 9/2
Treble Bass @ 7/2
Devil's Peak @ 2/1
Silver Lake @ 2/1

Ayr, 15:30 - Back Topwarrior @ 7/24.50

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Topwarrior

• J: Hector Crouch
• T: Ralph Beckett
• F: 201-00082

• SBK 3/1
• EXC 4.7

Ralph Beckett's Topwarrior's last win came on heavy ground at Newbury around this time last year and conditions should be right up his alley at Ayr on Thursday.

The speedy son of Sergei Prokofiev made a rather belated start to his campaign this season, not being seen until finishing down the field in a good-quality handicap at Epsom in June.

He didn't really hit his straps in several starts after that but bounced right back to form returned to easy ground at Hamilton last time, going down by only a head to City Captain.

This is Topwarrior's time of year and, with the heavy ground looking sure to play to his strengths, he'll take all the beating bidding to go one better.

Southwell, 18:00 - Back Kaito @ 7/24.50

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Kaito

• J: Jack Callan
• T: George Boughey
• F: 747

• SBK 5/2
• EXC 3.8

Courage Best was beginning to look exposed having had six starts without making too much impression, but she seemed to show improved form stepped up to a mile last time, finishing a good second to Wild Orchid at Brighton.

That was just her second nursery start and there could well be more to come, but I'm going to side with Kaito, who's had just three outings and looks a potential improver switched to this sphere.

George Boughey's juvenile has steadily improved his Timeform ratings over the course of his short career and the novice he finished seventh in at Doncaster last time isn't bad form at all, with a subsequent winner coming out of it and another trio all finishing second on their next starts.

The selection has also been gelded since that run and that alone could bring about some more improvement.

Mark's Bet of the Day: Southwell, 19:00 - Back Poets Praise @ 2/13.00

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Poets Praise

• J: Rhys Clutterbuck
• T: Ralph Beckett
• F: 54-41

• SBK 2/1
• EXC 4.1

Along with Topwarrior at Ayr, I'm confident the Ralph Beckett team can land this handicap with a filly who looks very much on the up, Poets Praise.

The daughter of Lope De Vega has made just four starts and she was off the mark last time when making her handicap debut at Sandown. She'd looked rather green in her runs prior to that but finally put it all together there and has a nice pedigree for one who was able to start off life in handicaps from a mark 68.

Poets Praise has been raised 7lb for that success, but even that could prove lenient and she should take plenty of beating attempting to follow up in race that doesn't look that much deeper.

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