Today's Racing Tips: Mark Milligan's Wednesday best bets include 15/2 fancy

Nottingham, 13:59 - Back Palomezcal @ 5/16.00

7 (2)

Palomezcal

• J: Saffie Osborne
• T: David Menuisier
• F: 904

• SBK 10/3
• EXC 5.5

Although the Nottingham going is officially good at the time of writing, with plenty of overnight/morning rain in the forecast, it could have turned on the soft side by the time the action gets underway.

With that in mind, I'm basing my selection on the theory that stamina may be at a premium and that could well suit David Menuisier's handicap debutante Palomezcal in this 1m 6f handicap.

This unexposed filly has made just three career starts (all over shorter) and now takes a significant step up in trip as she heads into this sphere for the first time, with her stout German pedigree on the dam's side suggesting both the step up in distance and any potential easing in the ground could both be positives.

The Menuisier yard was struggling for form not too long ago, but the tide appears to have turned recently with two winners and two placed runners from just six starts in the last fortnight and Palomezcal can take a big step forward under St Leger-winning jockey Saffie Osborne.

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

Mark's Bet of the Day: Nottingham, 14:59 - Back Akaraka @ 11/82.38

3 (3)

Akaraka

• J: Hector Crouch
• T: Michael Bell
• F: 7872

• SBK 6/4
• EXC 2.68

This 1m 2f nursery could turn into quite a test should the forecast rain arrive in the amounts suggested and one who ought to relish the increased emphasis on stamina is Michael Bell's Akaraka.

This trip is quite testing for juveniles at the best of times, but it could be even more of a slog if the rain gets into the ground and the selection's pedigree strongly points to him being right at home under stamina-sapping conditions.

The son of Ghaiyyath is out of a dam who stayed 1m 6f, while he's also a half-brother to Mon Etoile, who was a winner over an extended 1m 4f.

Akaraka made his first three starts over inadequate trips before finding plenty of improvement when stepped up to a mile on his nursery debut at Thirsk last time having been gelded beforehand.

Even that runner-up effort didn't appear to get the bottom of him, though, as he was staying on gradually in the manner of one who should have even more to come as he goes up further in distance.

This test looks right up Akaraka's street and he rates the day's best bet for me.

Kempton, 20:30 - Back Blue Samuna E/W @ 15/28.50

7 (9)

Blue Samuna (Ire)

• J: Robert Havlin
• T: James Owen
• F: 646-6787

• SBK 15/2
• EXC 7.2

James Owen has developed a reputation for improving horses from other stables and it surely won't be long before he finds the key to Blue Samuna, hopefully starting in this one-mile handicap.

This filly showed a glimmer of promise on her first two starts as a juvenile when trained by Jane Chapple-Hyam, including when fourth to the smart pair Touleen and Zanthos at Leicester, and that sort of form makes her particularly interesting off her current mark of just 57.

She didn't really build on that promise in three subsequent runs for her previous yard, but hasn't been with the Owen stable all that long, and the two starts she's made for her current trainer have come over shorter trips.

The selection should benefit from a step back up to a mile, while the hood she's worn on her two previous outings is discarded, suggesting she may well be ridden more positively than she has been since joining Owen.

That Leicester effort stands out like a sore thumb in this company and Blue Samuna will take plenty of stopping if her new handler has got her back in that sort of form, while the extra place available on the Sportsbook gives us a nice insurance policy.

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