cillians charm

The seven-year-old Sageburg gelding Cillians Charm was sourced by Deva Racing Director Ryan Tongue and Grand National-winning trainer Dr Richard Newland at the Goffs UK Spring Sale in May 2023, and is now based with James Owen in Newmarket.

Formerly trained in Ireland by Anthony McCann, Cillians Charm has several bits of smart form to his name. He was runner-up in his only point-to-point start, then filled the same position behind subsequent Cheltenham Festival winner You Wear it Well (Midnight Legend) on his bumper debut, before running creditably in the Gr.1 Champion Bumper at Cheltenham behind Facile Vega (Walk In The Park). 

Switching to hurdles during the 2022/23 season, he was second on debut behind Halibut (Balko), who had finished third behind subsequent Gr.1 Supreme Novices’ Hurdle winner Marine Nationale (French Navy) the time before, and then finished third to the future Gr.1 winner Ashroe Diamond (Walk In The Park) on his next start at Naas. 

Cillians Charm went on to open his account in a Clonmel maiden hurdle in January 2023, beating the now 140-rated chaser Yeah Man (Westerner) by six lengths, before finishing third in a warm race at Fairyhouse. He has yet to run since arriving in Britain but looks one to keep on the right side of from a rating of 120 and he could go to a very high level when racing over fences. 

His pedigree backs up that assessment. This strong and well-made individual is a half-brother to the NH winners Tick Along (Tikkanen) and Sula Warrior (Winged Love), and a near-relation of the Gr.1 Drinmore Novice Chase winner Promalee (Homo Sapien) and the dual Gr.3-winning chaser Michael Mor (Denel). We can’t wait to see what he is capable of in Deva Racing silks.