Acclaimed goes for Ces glory

John Morrison’s astute purchase Much Acclaimed will sign off for the season in Sunday’s Hacketts Bookmakers Irish Cesarewitch at the Curragh.

Morrison, a veteran trainer in County Waterford, believes his small-scale approach has helped to settle the highly-strung gelding, who has won his last three starts.

Bought for just £800 last November, Much Acclaimed took a handicap at the Galway Festival, another similar prize at the Curragh and then collected the Lartigue Hurdle at Listowel on only his second start over timber.

“He has improved quite a bit this year and he seems in good form, but at the same time this is going to be his last run of the year as we don’t want to go to the well too often. We’ll be hopeful anyway,” said Morrison.

“I think it has suited him not being in a big stable. I only have four horses, as well as a few mares, and I only train for myself.

“Horses are like people in many ways, and they have different personalities.

“He does like things his own way and he can be very uptight. If you shut his stable door he gets very upset and you’d worry he’d hurt himself, but as long as it’s open he’s happy. Luckily I’m usually around to check on him.

“He will have a break until the spring after Sunday and he could go hurdling. The way he jumps his hurdles, I would say he’ll be better when he goes over fences, and we’ll hopefully do that this time next year.”

Tom Mullins looks to rejuvenate another hurdler, Fosters Cross with a return to the Flat.

Although he is better known as a winner at Graded level over hurdles and fences, Fosters Cross’ was another to triumph in a Flat handicap at Ballybrit before he finished second in the Galway Hurdle just three days later.

There has been less to recommend about his two most recent starts over obstacles but Mullins has booked ace apprentice Joseph O’Brien to ride.

“He was pulled-up in the Kerry National as it was a bit far for him and I suppose he just didn’t act at Tipperary over hurdles the last day, but all seems very well with him at home,” said the Goresbridge trainer.

“I wanted to give him a last run for the season to try to finish on a good note, and then maybe bring him back in the spring.

“He won the last time he ran on the Flat at Galway, and he went up 11lb for that, but we’ve got Joseph O’Brien to ride and you’d say he was by a champion and out of a champion, as both his parents were very good riders. You’d hope he could be competitive.”

Among the other contenders are two progressive John Oxx-trained three-year-olds in Dimona and Minsk.