Charismatic Kid collects in Navan's finale Strong market confidence in Charismatic Kid (4/1) was rewarded today as the promising debutant poignantly won Navan’s concluding Tote Always SP Or Better INH Bumper for small-yard trainer Colm Ryan and jockey Ray Barron. With early odds of 20/1 quickly gobbled up, Charismatic Kid’s price had contracted to just 4/1 yesterday evening and today confidence held steady for the competitive-looking contest. The race featured a Gordon Elliott-trained, Gigginstown House Stud-owned winning ex-point-to-pointer, but Barron elected to make the running on the son of Affinisea who maintained his gallop to beat running-on Gillane by 6.5 lengths. Charismatic Kid carries the colours of co-owners James Woods, trainer’s brother Aidan Ryan and John Hayes, whose father Brendan Hayes passed away last weekend. It was trainer Ryan’s second success from six runners, following Karate Kid’s Leopardstown win last Christmas, and Barron stated "Charismatic Kid is one for the future and is as good a horse as I have sat on in a long time. "I'd love to have him for the graded bumpers in Leopardstown (over Christmas) or the DRF, but the unfortunate thing for me is he’ll have a change of colours after today!” Barron, whose biggest win was in Galway’s prestigious amateur riders’ handicap in 2023, added “He's a big horse with a big engine and is very clear-winded, very straightforward and has a good temperament. He's not short of gears either but, when you think you’re on the best horse in the race, just keep it simple and bowl away. "He's very good on that ground and he'll go on kind of any ground, but he's so clear-winded it takes nothing out of him.” Quotes from Michael Graham
