Mornington Cannon

Morny Cannon
Circa 1900
Occupation	Jockey
Born	21 May 1873 Houghton, Hampshire United Kingdom
Died	1962
Career wins	1,542 (1890-1900)
Major racing wins, honours and awards
Major racing wins
Coronation Stakes (1892-1894, 1896, 1898) Craven Stakes (1893-94, 1897, 1899, 1902, 1906) Prince of Wales's Stakes (1895-96, 1899, 1900, 1904, 1905) Middle Park Plate (1896) Doncaster Cup (1897) Lincolnshire Handicap (1897) Eclipse Stakes (1899) Ascot Gold Cup (1902) British Classic race wins: St. Leger Stakes (1894, 1899) Epsom Derby (1899) 2,000 Guineas (1899) Epsom Oaks (1900, 1903)
Racing awards
British flat racing Champion Jockey (1891, 1892, 1894-1897)
Significant horses
Flying Fox, Throstle

Herbert Mornington Cannon (1873–1962), commonly referred to as Morny Cannon, was a six-time leading jockey in the United Kingdom in the 1890s. He holds the records for the most wins by a jockey at the Craven Stakes, Coronation Stakes and Prince of Wales's Stakes. His most famous mount was Flying Fox who won the British Triple Crown in 1899. He was the son of English jockey Tom Cannon (1846–1917).

Early life

Herbert Mornington Cannon was born on May 21 in Houghton, Hampshire, the same day that his father Tom Cannon won the 1873 City and Suburban Handicap riding a colt named Mornington.^[1] Cannon derived his middle name from his father's mount and went by the nickname "Morny" for much of his racing career.^[2]

His mother was Catherine Day, a daughter of English horse trainer John Barham Day. Cannon had two brothers who were also jockeys: Walter Kempton (1879–1951) and Tom Cannon, Jr (1872–1945). His sister Margaret married Ernest Piggott, who was the grandfather of champion jockey Lester Piggott.^[3]

Racing career

Cannon's first race win occurred shortly before his fourteenth birthday in 1887, at a race held in Salisbury.^[3] By 1900 Cannon had won 1,542 races.^[2] His most famous mount was Flying Fox with which he captured the 1899 St. Leger Stakes, 2,000 Guineas and Epsom Derby, securing the Triple Crown.^[4] During his career, he was noted as having good hands for piloting 2-year-old horses.^[5] He retired from racing in 1908.

Diamond Jubilee

Cannon would have ridden another Triple Crown winner in 1900, but Diamond Jubilee had an intense dislike of the jockey. Cannon had ridden the horse in the Boscawen Stakes in 1900, achieving a narrow win over Paigle in a finish that required a generous application of whip on Diamond Jubilee. The horse never again allowed Cannon to ride him, rolling on top of the jockey on one occasion.^[5] Diamond Jubilee was instead ridden by newcomer Herbert Jones during his Triple Crown campaign.

Retirement

Cannon retired from racing and lived in Brighton and Hove for many years until his death in 1962 at the age of 89.^[1]

References

1. ^ ^{a b} "Mornington Cannon profile". British Horseracing Museum. http://www.horseracinghistory.co.uk/hrho/action/viewDocument?id=989. Retrieved 27 May 2010. 
2. ^ ^{a b} The Washington Post. "Tom Cannon, noted British rider, dead." August 26, 1917. pg 35.
3. ^ ^{a b} Wray Vamplew and Joyce Kay. "Cannon family." Encyclopedia of British Horseracing. Pages 65-66. MPG Books, Ltd. 2005. ISBN 0-714-68292.
4. ^ "Horseracing History Online - Horse Profile : Flying Fox". http://www.horseracinghistory.co.uk/hrho/action/viewDocument?id=867. Retrieved 29 May 2010. 
5. ^ ^{a b} Alfred E. T. Watson. "Queer-tempered horses."The Badminton Magazine of Sports and Pastimes. 1905. Pages 370-378.