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.

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.

[5] A year later,[2] Imperial Call was sold by the bloodstock dealer Tom Costello[6] to Lisselan Farms Ltd and was sent into training with Fergie Sutherland at his stables at Killinaridish, County Cork.

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.

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.

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.

The grey soon weakened and dropped away as Imperial Call stayed on strongly to win by four lengths from the future Grand National winner Rough Quest.

[14] The win was the first for an Irish horse since Dawn Run in 1986 and provoked scenes of wild celebration, with the crowd waving flags and singing the Cork anthem The Banks Of My Own Lovely Lee.

On his seasonal debut, he fell at the last fence of the Punchestown Chase in December, although he was not hurt and was remounted to finish a remote fourth to Royal Mountbrowne.

After finishing second in his first two races, he easily defeated Merry Gale in the Ericsson Chase at Leopardstown in December to record his first win in 21 months.

[24] He was beaten when odds-on favourite for the Cork Grand National, but then defeated the leading racemare Opera Hat (winner of the Melling Chase) at Naas, winning by fifteen lengths.

In December, he won the Punchestown Chase at his third attempt, leading from the start and jumping "quickly and accurately" to beat Dorans Pride for the first time in four meetings.

Ridden by Ruby Walsh, he started at odds of 8/1 in a five horse field against Florida Pearl, Dorans Pride, Opera Hat and Escartefigue.

Imperial Call led from the start and recorded his biggest win in three years as he finished fourteen lengths clear of Florida Pearl.