Herbert Mornington Cannon (21 May 1873–1 June 1962), commonly referred to as Morny Cannon, was a six-time Champion jockey in the United Kingdom in the 1890s. He holds the records for the most wins by a jockey in 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 and trainer Tom Cannon (1846–1917). In his day he was considered the most perfect master of style and he epitomised "the art of jockeyship".Gould, Nathaniel; Sporting Sketches Publisher: London : R.A. Everett & Co. (1900)
Early life Cannon was born on 21 May 1873 in Houghton, Hampshire, the same day that his father Tom Cannon won the Somersetshire Stakes, at Bath, on a colt named MorningtonBirmingham Daily Post (Birmingham, England), Thursday, 22 May 1873 (who also won the 1873 City and Suburban Handicap). Cannon derived his middle name from his father's mount and went by the nickname "Morny" for much of his racing career.The Washington Post. "Tom Cannon, noted British rider, dead." 26 August 1917. pg 35.
Cannon was educated at Banister's Court, Southampton, and afterwards at Queenswood College by a private tutor.The Hampshire Advertiser (Southampton, England), Wednesday, 8 December 1897
Racing career Cannon had his first mount in public on 11 October 1886, on his father's mare Coraline at Kempton in the Middlesex All-aged Selling Plate. He finished well behind. His first mount in 1887 was at the Epsom Spring Meeting. Claiming the 5 pound apprentice allowance, he rode Koster at 6 stone 3 pounds in the Metropolitan Stakes. Cannon's first race win occurred shortly before his fourteenth birthday, on 20 May 1887, in the City Bowl Salisbury. on Mr H E Tidy's Flint. By 1900 Cannon had won 1,542 races. 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. During his career, he was noted as having good hands for piloting 2-year-old horses.Alfred E. T. Watson. "Queer-tempered horses."The Badminton Magazine of Sports and Pastimes. 1905. Pages 370–378.
Morny Cannon’s Doncaster
Cannon monopolised the 1894 Doncaster St Leger meeting. His wins were as follows: First Day: -Stand Plate (9 runners), Rowallan, 100/8; Champagne Stakes (5), Solero, 10/1; Great Yorkshire Handicap (16), Bushey Park, 100/12; Doncaster Welter (13), Lumberer, 100/8. Second Day: – Milton Stakes (7), Newmarket 4/5; St Leger (8), Throstle, 50/1. Third Day: – Juvenile Selling (10), Queen Saraband, 9/4; Rous Plate (6), Matabele, 100/30; Portland Plate (15), Grey Leg, 8/1; Corporation Selling (10), St Ignatius, 11/8.Sargent, Harry R Thoughts upon sport (1895) Publisher: London : Simpkin, Marshall, Hamilton, Kent He drew a blank on the fourth day but was second in the Doncaster Cup on the 100/6 shot Portland. There were 26 races over the four days and Cannon rode in all but five of them yielding ten wins, four seconds, two thirds. There was almost one more because after dead-heating in the Tattersalls Stakes on The Brook he was beaten in the run-off. As well as winning most of the principle races the majority of his winners were outsiders and Throstle's 50/1 victory in the St Leger was sensational. He was originally entered as a pacemaker for his more fancied stable mate, Matchbox, but it was Morny's idea to change tactics and so bring off a memorable success. As John Porter, Throstle's trainer understated, Morny "was in irresistible form."John Porter of Kingsclere : an autobiography (1919). Publisher: London : G. Richards p367
Diamond Jubilee Cannon would have ridden another Triple Crown winner in 1900, but Diamond Jubilee had an intense dislike of the jockey. Jack Watts, Prince of Wales's jockey, had already refused to take the ride on the notoriously unruly Diamond Jubilee, before connections turned to Cannon.The Singapore Free Press and Mercantile Advertiser (1884–1942), 3 April 1922, Page 2 THK KING'S 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. Cannon's advice to the Prince was that "a brute like that ought to be shot," whilst claiming that he would not ride the horse for a pension. Diamond Jubilee was instead ridden by newcomer Herbert Jones during his Triple Crown campaign.
Career statistics Year Wins Mounts Per cent Position Reference 1887 9 1888 12 106 11.3 The Sheffield & Rotherham Independent (Sheffield, England), Tuesday, 27 November 1888 1889 21 217 9.6 The Sheffield & Rotherham Independent (Sheffield, England), Tuesday, 26 November 1889 1890 39 306 12.7 The Yorkshire Herald, and The York Herald (York, England), Tuesday, 25 November 1890 1891 137 609 22.51 The Yorkshire Herald, and The York Herald (York, England), Tuesday, 1 December 1891 1892 182 729 24.9 1 The Yorkshire Herald, and The York Herald (York, England), Saturday, 3 December 1892 1893 168 666 25.5 2 The Yorkshire Herald, and The York Herald (York, England), Saturday, 2 December 1893 1894 167 693 23.9 1 Liverpool Mercury etc (Liverpool, England), Tuesday, 27 November 1894 1895 184 711 25.8 1 Liverpool Mercury etc (Liverpool, England), Tuesday, 26 November 1895 1896 164 721 22.7 1 The Yorkshire Herald, and The York Herald (York, England), Tuesday, 1 December 1896 1897 145 624 23.2 1 Liverpool Mercury etc (Liverpool, England), Tuesday, 30 November 1897 1898 140 539 25.9 3 The Standard (London, England), Monday, 28 November 1898 1899 120 468 25.6 3 The Standard (London, England), Monday, 27 November 1899 1900 82 490 16.7 6 The Standard (London, England), Tuesday, 27 November 1900 1901 76 451 16.8 6 The Times, Monday, 25 November 1901 1902 68 395 17.2 7 The Times, Monday, 24 November 1902 1903 53 349 15.1 8 The Times, Monday, 30 November 1903 1904 47 329 14.2 12 The Times, Monday, 28 November 1904 1905 28 217 21 1906 25 146 24 19071499 1908
Cannon won six Jockeys' Championship and retired from racing in 1909.
Riding style
Morny's spell at the top was curtailed by rising weightThe Pall Mall Gazette (London, England), Monday, 26 November 1900The Times, Monday, 30 November 1903; pg. 3 and the 'American Invasion' of jockeys, which led to faster run races and riding in a crouching style with a shorter length of stirrup.At the time, despite the success of the American style of riding, many were convinced it was not the proper way to sit a horse. They felt sure in the long run the traditional English style of riding would prove the more successful, as it was certainly the more elegant and artistic.Gould, Nathaniel, Sporting sketches : being recollections and reflections on a variety of subjects connected with sport horses and horsemen, never before published Publisher: London : R.A. Everett & Co.(1900) However, in their prime, there was not much to choose between "Tod" Sloan and Cannon as horseman, but Morny was well clear when it came to honesty and integrity.The Penny Illustrated Paper and Illustrated Times (London, England), Saturday, 13 January 1894; pg. 23Papers Past > Auckland Star > 3 Poutūterangi 1917 > Page 2 > AUSTRALIANS IN ENGLAND
Despite his success in the saddle, trainer Mat Dawson, Fred Archer's mentor, dismissed him as a 'dilettante jockey'. Most turfites, however, concurred with Rapier's opinion that Morny was always a "the most conscientious of professional horseman."Author: Watson, Alfred Edward Thomas, 1849–1922, [from old catalog] ed The Badminton magazine of sports and pastimes Vol XXIV (1907) Cannon was one of the old school of jockeys like Fordham and Archer, but towards the end of his career altered his riding methods, having his saddle further forward and shortening his stirrup leathers.The Times, Thursday, 22 April 1909; pg. 18 He was also known for leaving his challenge very late in races, a trait he had learnt from his father, and considered the "English style", to win by the narrowest margin.Western Mail (Cardiff, Wales), Tuesday, 8 November 1898 Fellow jockey and later trainer, George Lambton commented, "It really was extraordinary, after apparently being out of a race, how he would sweep down on three or four struggling horses and beat them",George Lambton (Hon.): Men and Horses I Have Known; pub.T. Butterworth Limited, 1924 also adding, "there is no doubt that most of the jockeys were frightened to death of Morny with his tremendous rush at the finish." Such tactics were not always popular. Another trainer, John Porter believed it cost him the 1901 Derby on William The Third. However, weighing room colleague, Danny Maher, considered Morny as, "one of the finest horsemen that he had ever fought out a finish."Penny Illustrated Paper and Illustrated Times (London, England), Saturday, 3 April 1909; pg. 214
Personal life, retirement and death Cannon's mother was Catherine Day, a granddaughter of English horse trainer John Barham Day. Cannon had three brothers who were also jockeys: Kempton Cannon (1879–1951), Tom Cannon, Jr. (1872–1945) and Charles Cannon (1884–1963). His sister Margaret married Ernest Piggott, who was the grandfather of champion jockey Lester Piggott.Wray Vamplew and Joyce Kay. "Cannon family." Encyclopedia of British Horseracing. Pages 65–66. MPG Books, Ltd. 2005. .
Cannon married Nelly Dennett Gray, of The Park, Nottingham, on 11 January 1894, at the old parish church, St Mary Abbots, Kensington. The wedding was a quiet one owing to the recent death of the bride's father. They honeymooned in Brighton with a view to setting up home near Danebury.The Bristol Mercury and Daily Post (Bristol, England), Saturday, 13 January 1894
Increasingly suffering from rheumatism, Cannon announced his retirement from racing in April 1909
Following the end of his marriage, Cannon had a relationship with Emily Harris, a spinster who worked in workhouses around Brighton and they had a son Herbert Claud Harris (1916-2000). Harris changed his surname to Cannon by deed poll on 8 January 1945.
Cannon lived in Brighton and Hove for many years until his death on 1 June 1962, aged 89.
In popular culture Cannon is mentioned in James Joyce's "Ulysses", "Morny Cannon is riding him."
See also List of significant families in British horse racing
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