Lives in Cricket No 18 - FR Foster

We, the driver and myself, arrived outside that marvellous new stand at Epsom at exactly 1.39, without one single stop. The weather was perfect and the day was – Derby Day. There is no need for me to enlarge on ‘How to get there.’ The press gave all the details, on the morning of ‘Frank Curzon’s Day’. 58 With your kind permission we will now move the scene of action to the racecourse, where the parade of candidates for the big race is about to commence. This is my first Derby, and the sight is truly wonderful. Picture me now seated on my reserved seat in the stand, watching the parade. On my one side a dear old lady sits (not a dear young lady) dressed à la Epsom. On my other side fidgets the Acme of Perfection in morning attire – not Walter I am sorry to say. ‘What have you backed?’ the lady said to me. ‘Call Boy,’ I replied. ‘So have I,’ she murmured, ‘and I have taken 6 to 1 for my five shillings. I do hope he wins, don’t you?’ As I considered that remark in the light of a leading question, I confided to the lady, in hurried whispers, my foolish bet made in the early hours of the morning. ‘They’re off!”’she exclaimed, with a cheery ‘Good luck’ thrown in. Up went our glasses (not night caps) and after a few yards we saw Elliott 59 take Call Boy to the front. ‘He leads,’ the lady said. ‘Thank you,’ I replied as my glasses were not too clear – you will notice the glass takes all blame. Round Tattenham Corner this ‘nice ’oss’ was still in the lead. A furlong from home I drop my glasses and exclaim, ‘He’s beat.’ At that moment Hot Night, lying second, reached the girths of Call Boy and to me, a novice at the game, it looked as if Hot Night was going to win. ‘Stop him!’ I shouted. The next moment I felt a pair of warm, bare arms around my neck, and my lady friend of the next pew to mine uttered these soul-stirring words: ‘Look, you fool, he’s won, he’s won.’ And so he had. When I dropped my glasses the effort of Hot Night had reached its climax and it was Call Boy that went on to win that wonderful race.’ The following year Foster Brothers Limited dispensed with Frank’s services though, as mentioned, he was given a pretty generous pay-off and the summer, at least, was spent in Bournemouth, where he became involved with Bournemouth Cricket Club. Though not a regular member of the Bournemouth eleven he did play occasionally and left a good, though perhaps hyperbolic description of a game in July against an MCC side at Dean Park: I should like to tell you something about one of the finest amateur bowlers I have ever seen. His name, Bostock-Hill, is not very well known, because the Warwickshire club did not think he was much good. I saw this man put up one of the finest bowling performances War and the 1920s 95 58 Frank Curzon was a well known theatre manager and horse breeder whose horse, Call Boy, won the 1927 Derby. 59 Charlie Elliott (1904-79) shared the Jockeys Championship with Steve Donohue in 1923, while still an apprentice.