Imperial Call (21 February 1989 – 29 November 2014) was an Irish racehorse. He was a specialist steeplechaser who ran thirty-two times and won sixteen races under National Hunt rules. After showing promise as a hurdler and novice chaser, Imperial Call emerged as a top-class jumper with a win in the Hennessy Gold Cup in February 1996. A month later, he became the first Irish-trained horse for ten years to win Britain's most prestigious steeplechase, the Cheltenham Gold Cup. His subsequent career was disrupted by injury problems but he won further major races including the Punchestown Chase in 1998 and the Punchestown Gold Cup in 1999. Unlike most modern racehorses, Imperial Call was not a Thoroughbred.
Background
Imperial Call was a "leggy, sparely made" brown horse bred in County Wexford, Ireland by T. A. O'Donnell. He was sired by the successful National Hunt stallion Callernish out of the mare Princess Menelek. As Princess Menelek's great-grandmother Friend Galee was of unknown parentage, neither she nor any of her offspring were Thoroughbreds.
As a three-year-old gelding, Imperial Call was consigned by the Redpender Stud to the Tattersalls sales in June 1992, where he was sold for a cash bid of 6,000 guineas. A year later, Imperial Call was sold by the bloodstock dealer Tom Costello to Lisselan Farms Ltd and was sent into training with Fergie Sutherland at his stables at Killinaridish, County Cork. Sutherland was a sixty-year-old Scot who had lost a leg in the Korean War. He had trained winners at Royal Ascot in the 1950s before moving to his family estate in Ireland to train jumpers. Imperial Call was ridden in most of his early races by Gerry O'Neill.
Racing career
1993–1995: early career
Imperial Call began his racing career as a four-year-old in 1993. After finishing seventh on his debut, he recorded his first win by taking a Novice Hurdle race at Limerick by fifteen lengths.
After the summer break, Imperial Call competed against experienced hurdlers in the 1993/1994 season. He ran five times, winning races at Limerick, Gowran Park, and Leopardstown Racecourse. In January, he finished second by a short head in a handicap race at Naas Racecourse in which he carried ten pounds more than the winner, Dorans Pride.
In the 1994/1995 season, Imperial Call tackled larger obstacles as he competed in steeplechases. He won three more races, including the Grade III Nas Na Riogh Novice Chase at Naas. Sutherland chose not to send Imperial Call to the 1995 Cheltenham Festival as he felt that the horse needed more time to develop. On his final appearance of the year, he contested the Grade I Power Gold Cup at Fairyhouse Racecourse. Racing against some of the leading Irish novice chasers, he finished third of the nine runners behind Strong Platinum and Sound Man.
1995–1997: Gold Cup years
Imperial Call began the 1995/1996 at Clonmel in November. He took the lead two fences from the finish of the Grade III Morris Oil Chase and drew clear of the opposition to win easily. His challenge for the Grade I Punchestown Chase later in the month was short-lived as he fell at the first fence. In January, carrying 156 pounds, he won a handicap at Leopardstown, beating Strong Platinum, who was carrying twelve pounds more. Imperial Call's third attempt at Grade I level came in the Hennessy Cognac Gold Cup in February, a race for which the British-trained Cheltenham Gold Cup winner Master Oats was made favourite. Ridden for the first time by Conor O'Dwyer, Imperial Call led from the start and recovered from a bad mistake at the last fence to win by six lengths from the British champion.