Thursday Horse Racing Tips: Charlie can give us a proper winner at Hamilton

• Tactics key for first tip with cheekpieces tried

• Rain forecast suits second selection at Leopardstown

• Alan Dudman has two tips for Thursday in his latest Sportsbook double 

Hamilton - 15:55: Back Individualism @ 6/17.00

Hamilton's meeting on Saturday saw virtually nothing winning from off the pace with two front-runners making all and five other winners from seven races were prominent.

Charlie Johnston is a trainer I don't have a particularly good record with but Johnston Junior has two successes on that Hamilton card and Individualism looks a likely front-runner here. The yard are also 4-22 this term at Hamilton at 18%. 

He finished fourth last time out in a far deeper 0-100 race at Musselburgh but ran far too free with his enthusiasm eclipsing his finishing effort.

Still, he was fourth and he drops in grade here with a mark also coming down slowly and he's down to 80 now and the hopes are pinned to his second at Beverley over 1m2f when earning his best recent Timeform figure of 88, which was on a par with one of his stronger efforts last term.

He's down to 1m on Thursday and considering he stays further and has cheekpieces on for the first time, he surely has to make it to give us a chance.

Leopardstown - 17:45: Back Free Solo @ 11/26.50

Rain is forecast for Thursday for a good card at Leopardstown and the 17:45 7f Handicap for apprentice riders looks open enough.

Free Solo has form in soft and finished second in rain-softened conditions over course and distance off 70 last month.

He couldn't back up the effort last time but still ran with credit at Down Royal, but he had excuses as he was bumped leaving the stalls and suffered interference, and that in turn hindered his chance.

Free Solo finished behind Finsceal Annie in second in that Down Royal run, but beat her by three lengths at the Curragh in May off a mark of 62. He came from off the pace there and stayed on well, and while he has been ridden prominently, those tactics coming from just off the pace suit him well.

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