Call Boy (horse)

Call Boy
Call Boy
Sire	Hurry On
Grandsire	Marcovil
Dam	Comedienne
Damsire	Bachelors Double
Sex	Stallion
Foaled	1924
Country	United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland
Colour	Chestnut
Breeder	Frank Curzon
Owner	Frank Curzon
Trainer	Jack Watts
Record	7: 4-2-1
Earnings	£
Major wins
Middle Park Stakes (1926) Newmarket Stakes (1927) Epsom Derby (1927)

Call Boy (1924–1940) was a British Thoroughbred racehorse. In a career which lasted from July 1926 to June 1927, he ran seven times winning four races. His most notable success came in the 1927 Epsom Derby, which he won in record time. Partly because of the death of his owner, Call Boy never ran again after his win at Epsom.

Background

Call Boy, a chestnut horse with a white blaze and two white socks, was bred by his owner, the actor and theatre manager Frank Curzon at his Primrose Cottage Stud.^[1] He was sired by the unbeaten champion, Hurry On, making him a representative of the Godolphin Arabian sire line.^[2] Apart from Call Boy, Hurry On sired the winners of seven Classics including the Derby winners Captain Cuttle and Coronach. Call Boy’s dam, Comedienne, a daughter of the Irish Derby winner Bachelor's Double, had been bought by Curzon for 130gns. In addition to Call Boy, she produced the Great Yorkshire Stakes winner Comedy King.^[3]

Curzon sent Call Boy to be trained by Jack Watts at his Lansdowne House Stable at Newmarket, Suffolk.

Racing career

1926: two-year-old season

Call Boy made his racecourse debut in the prestigious July Stakes at Newmarket in which he finished third to The Satrap and Sickle. In the Champagne Stakes at Doncaster he produced a strong finish to reverse the form with Sickle but narrowly failed to catch Damon. At Newmarket in October he recorded his first win in the Linton Stakes and then returned to the same course later in the month for the Middle Park Stakes, one of the most important two-year-old races of the season. Call Boy established himself as one of the year’s leading juveniles by winning by a head from Sickle.^[3] In the Free Handicap, an annual rating of the best British two-year-olds, Call Boy was ranked fifth.^[1]

1927: three-year-old season

Frank Curzon, Call Boy's owner and breeder c. 1900

On his three-year-old debut Call Boy started favourite for the 2000 Guineas at Newmarket, despite the fact that he was “evidently backward in condition”, but was beaten a short head by Adam's Apple.^[4] In the days before the photo finish was introduced results were decided solely by the judge, and on this occasion there were some who felt that Call Boy had been unlucky not to have been given at least a share of the prize.^[1] On his next start, Call Boy was an impressive four length winner of the Newmarket Stakes, over ten furlongs. Although the opposition was moderate, his performance suggested that he would be well suited by longer distances.^[5]

At Epsom, Call Boy started the 4/1 favourite, despite a slight injury scare,^[6] and was ridden by Charlie Elliott.^[7] The race took place on a wet and "dismal" day in front of a crowd which included the King and Queen as well as the aviator Charles Lindbergh.^[8] Call Boy led from the start but was strongly challenged in the straight by Hot Night. After being briefly headed inside the final furlong, Call Boy rallied to retake the lead and pulled away to win by two lengths from Hot Night, with the pair eight lengths clear of the third-placed Shian Mor.^[9] His winning time of 2:34.4 broke the race record^[10] set five years earlier by Captain Cuttle. Curzon who attended the race against doctor’s advice, was obviously unwell ("pale and trembling"^[11]), but managed to lead the colt in and accepted the winner’s trophy.

Frank Curzon died shortly after the Derby.^[11] Under the rules of racing at the time, this meant that all of his entries for the rest of the season were void.^[12] Call Boy was bought by Curzon’s brother, Sir Henry Mallaby-Deeley for £60,000,^[13] but no new entries were made and Call Boy was retired to stud.^[3]

Assessment

In their book A Century of Champions, John Randall and Tony Morris rated Call Boy an “average” Derby winner and the one hundred and fifty-second best British racehorse of the 20th Century .^[9]

Stud career

Call Boy’s stud career was a complete failure. He had serious fertility problems and sired only a handful of foals,^[14] none of whom showed any real ability. In 1932, for example, he managed to get only four mares "in foal".^[15] His only notable descendant was the 1000 Guineas and Oaks winner Sweet Solera. Call Boy died in 1940.

Pedigree

Pedigree of Call Boy (GB), chestnut stallion, 1924
Sire Hurry On (GB) 1913	Marcovil 1903	Marco	Barcaldine
		Marco	Novitiate
		Lady Villikins	Hagioscope
		Lady Villikins	Dinah
	Toute Suite 1904	Sainfoin	Springfield
		Sainfoin	Sanda
		Star	Thurio
		Star	Meteor
Dam Comedienne (GB) 1913	Bachelor's Double 1906	Tredennis	Kendal
		Tredennis	St Marguerite
		Lady Bawn	Le Noir
		Lady Bawn	Milady
	Altoviscar 1902	Donovan	Galopin
		Donovan	Mowerina
		Navaretta	Kilwarlin
		Navaretta	Pampeluna (Family: 2-f)

References

1 2 3 Patricia Erigero Thoroughbred Heritage (1957-03-09). "Hurry On". Tbheritage.com. Retrieved 2011-11-08.
↑ "Godolphin Arabian Line". Tbheritage.com. Retrieved 2011-11-02.
1 2 3 Mortimer, Roger; Onslow, Richard; Willett, Peter (1978). Biographical Encyclopedia of British Flat Racing. Macdonald and Jane’s. ISBN 0-354-08536-0.
↑ "Call Boy likely Derby favourite". Montreal Gazette. Retrieved 2011-11-08.
↑ "THE DERBY". Paperspast.natlib.govt.nz. 1927-05-26. Retrieved 2011-11-08.
↑ "Favourite races to victory". Ottawa Citizen. Retrieved 2011-11-08.
↑ "Edward Elliott". Horseracinghistory.co.uk. Retrieved 2011-11-08.
↑ "THE DERBY 1927". British Pathe. Retrieved 2011-11-08.
1 2 Morris, Tony; Randall, John (1999). A Century of Champions. Portway Press,. ISBN 1-901570-15-0.
↑ "Favourite wins Derby". The Spokesman-Review. Retrieved 2011-11-08.
1 2 "Mr. Frank Curzon". Paperspast.natlib.govt.nz. 1927-07-05. Retrieved 2011-11-08.
↑ "ENGLISH RACING". Paperspast.natlib.govt.nz. 1927-12-07. Retrieved 2011-11-08.
↑ "Briton Pays $300,000 for Call Boy". Select.nytimes.com. 1927-08-07. Retrieved 2011-11-08.
↑ "Call Boy Offspring". Pedigreequery.com. Retrieved 2011-11-09.
↑ "Papers Past — Evening Post — 19 January 1933 — SIRES AND POTENCY". Paperspast.natlib.govt.nz. 1933-01-19. Retrieved 2011-11-11.

Epsom Derby winners

1780 Diomed 1781 Young Eclipse 1782 Assassin 1783 Saltram 1784 Serjeant 1785 Aimwell 1786 Noble 1787 Sir Peter Teazle 1788 Sir Thomas 1789 Skyscraper 1790 Rhadamanthus 1791 Eager 1792 John Bull 1793 Waxy 1794 Daedalus 1795 Spread Eagle 1796 Didelot 1797 colt by Fidget 1798 Sir Harry 1799 Archduke 1800 Champion 1801 Eleanor ♥ 1802 Tyrant 1803 Ditto 1804 Hannibal 1805 Cardinal Beaufort 1806 Paris 1807 Election 1808 Pan 1809 Pope 1810 Whalebone 1811 Phantom 1812 Octavius 1813 Smolensko 1814 Blucher 1815 Whisker 1816 Prince Leopold 1817 Azor 1818 Sam 1819 Tiresias 1820 Sailor 1821 Gustavus 1822 Moses 1823 Emilius 1824 Cedric 1825 Middleton 1826 Lap-dog 1827 Mameluke 1828 Cadland 1829 Frederick 1830 Priam 1831 Spaniel 1832 St. Giles 1833 Dangerous 1834 Plenipotentiary 1835 Mundig 1836 Bay Middleton 1837 Phosphorus 1838 Amato 1839 Bloomsbury 1840 Little Wonder 1841 Coronation 1842 Attila 1843 Cotherstone 1844 Orlando 1845 The Merry Monarch 1846 Pyrrhus The First 1847 Cossack 1848 Surplice 1849 The Flying Dutchman 1850 Voltigeur 1851 Teddington 1852 Daniel O'Rourke 1853 West Australian ₩ 1854 Andover 1855 Wild Dayrell 1856 Ellington 1857 Blink Bonny ♥ 1858 Beadsman 1859 Musjid 1860 Thormanby 1861 Kettledrum 1862 Caractacus 1863 Macaroni 1864 Blair Athol 1865 Gladiateur ₩ 1866 Lord Lyon ₩ 1867 Hermit 1868 Blue Gown 1869 Pretender 1870 Kingcraft 1871 Favonius 1872 Cremorne 1873 Doncaster 1874 George Frederick 1875 Galopin 1876 Kisber 1877 Silvio 1878 Sefton 1879 Sir Bevys 1880 Bend Or 1881 Iroquois 1882 Shotover ♥ 1883 St. Blaise 1884 St. Gatien Harvester 1885 Melton 1886 Ormonde ₩ 1887 Merry Hampton 1888 Ayrshire 1889 Donovan 1890 Sainfoin 1891 Common ₩ 1892 Sir Hugo 1893 Isinglass ₩ 1894 Ladas 1895 Sir Visto 1896 Persimmon 1897 Galtee More ₩ 1898 Jeddah 1899 Flying Fox ₩ 1900 Diamond Jubilee ₩ 1901 Volodyovski 1902 Ard Patrick 1903 Rock Sand ₩ 1904 St. Amant 1905 Cicero 1906 Spearmint 1907 Orby 1908 Signorinetta ♥ 1909 Minoru 1910 Lemberg 1911 Sunstar 1912 Tagalie ♥ 1913 Aboyeur 1914 Durbar 1915 Pommern ₩ 1916 Fifinella ♥ 1917 Gay Crusader ₩ 1918 Gainsborough ₩ 1919 Grand Parade 1920 Spion Kop 1921 Humorist 1922 Captain Cuttle 1923 Papyrus 1924 Sansovino 1925 Manna 1926 Coronach 1927 Call Boy 1928 Felstead 1929 Trigo 1930 Blenheim 1931 Cameronian 1932 April the Fifth 1933 Hyperion 1934 Windsor Lad 1935 Bahram ₩ 1936 Mahmoud 1937 Mid-day Sun 1938 Bois Roussel 1939 Blue Peter 1940 Pont l'Eveque 1941 Owen Tudor 1942 Watling Street 1943 Straight Deal 1944 Ocean Swell 1945 Dante 1946 Airborne 1947 Pearl Diver 1948 My Love 1949 Nimbus 1950 Galcador 1951 Arctic Prince 1952 Tulyar 1953 Pinza 1954 Never Say Die 1955 Phil Drake 1956 Lavandin 1957 Crepello 1958 Hard Ridden 1959 Parthia 1960 St. Paddy 1961 Psidium 1962 Larkspur 1963 Relko 1964 Santa Claus 1965 Sea Bird 1966 Charlottown 1967 Royal Palace 1968 Sir Ivor 1969 Blakeney 1970 Nijinsky ₩ 1971 Mill Reef 1972 Roberto 1973 Morston 1974 Snow Knight 1975 Grundy 1976 Empery 1977 The Minstrel 1978 Shirley Heights 1979 Troy 1980 Henbit 1981 Shergar 1982 Golden Fleece 1983 Teenoso 1984 Secreto 1985 Slip Anchor 1986 Shahrastani 1987 Reference Point 1988 Kahyasi 1989 Nashwan 1990 Quest for Fame 1991 Generous 1992 Dr Devious 1993 Commander in Chief 1994 Erhaab 1995 Lammtarra 1996 Shaamit 1997 Benny the Dip 1998 High-Rise 1999 Oath 2000 Sinndar 2001 Galileo 2002 High Chaparral 2003 Kris Kin 2004 North Light 2005 Motivator 2006 Sir Percy 2007 Authorized 2008 New Approach 2009 Sea the Stars 2010 Workforce 2011 Pour Moi 2012 Camelot 2013 Ruler of the World 2014 Australia 2015 Golden Horn

Legend - ₩ = Triple Crown Winners, ♥ = Filly

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