Forster finds Cup gold with Call Out

By Jordan Gerrans

The Forster stable at Ilfracombe set out to find a Cup contender in the Central West and certainly found the right galloper, with Call Out putting together a stunning run of form.

Prepared by veteran trainer Henry ‘Boy’ Forster, the five-year-old gelding has won three consecutive Cups at Ilfracombe, Muttaburra and Aramac.

When the stable purchased the son of Microphone for just $5,000 at the start of this year, he had managed just one maiden victory.

The bay gelding has quickly added six more wins for the Forster camp, including five of his past six starts, with his three recent Cup triumphs the highlights.

“He has been very good, but he is a cranky horse,” the veteran horseman said.

“But, he has been all right, I handle him well. 

"When he came up, we started him in a Class B Handicap and he didn’t run well on that day.

“Almost since then, all he has done is win. He has won five of his six since then.”

Consistent hoop Robert Faehr has been in the saddle for Call Out’s past two Cup victories and is developing a close association with the horse and trainer of late.

Formerly trained by Adam Campton at the Gold Coast, Call Out was moved on after nine winless starts following his maiden victory at Gatton in June of last year.

His first two runs in the Central West hardly set the world on fire either, finishing fifth and fourth, respectively, at Longreach and Barcaldine.

Since then, he has risen sharply through the grades, progressing from lower Benchmark and Class races to winning three consecutive Open Handicaps over 1400 metres.

Call Out’s latest Cup triumph came in the John Dolgner Memorial Cup at Aramac on Saturday, following the Muttaburra Cup in early August.

His Cup-winning spree began on Forster’s home deck at Ilfracombe in the middle of July.

Known as the Willowie Cup at Ilfracombe, it was the fourth time the 80-year-old conditioner had won the race, while Call Out’s victory at Muttaburra was his fifth in the Cup at the venue.

With the feature Longreach Cup to be held in late September with $20,000 on offer, it could have been tempting to step Call Out up in trip to the mile for the race, which will also double as a heat for the Country Cups Challenge.

But, the veteran trainer has other plans in mind.

“He has always been a distance horse, but I don’t think he will run a mile,” he said.

“I think 1400 metres is his distance. 

"There was a bit of talk about starting him in the Cup at Longreach, but I am not going to do that.

“He is happy at 1400 metres, we know he can run at that level, I don’t want to try and bust him at a mile.”

Call Out has been to the races on 13 occasions this year.

Forster, who is the father of Group 1-winning Brisbane trainer Desleigh, says he will freshen Call Out up and target him at more Cup races at Winton, Jundah and Isisford over the coming weeks.

Call Out is raced by Forster’s granddaughter Eliza Callaghan, who helps out the stable on race day.

Forster prepares a team of 12 at Ilfracombe.

In Call Out’s latest Cup win at Aramac, he had to be brave late to edge out the charging Green Shadows and Little Cointreau.

The voice of racing in the Central West, Andrew Watts, recognised the gelding’s toughness in his call of the event.

“He stayed them off Call Out, to make it three Cups in a row,” Watts said.