Charles Cannon

Charles Cannon

1884-1968

Article by Alan Trout

Charles Cannon was clearly not as talented as his older brothers Morny and Kempton, but he did have some success in a career that yielded 27 winners. 

Born on March 26, 1884 Charles Edward Cannon was apprenticed to his father Tom, who had ridden 13 Classic winners and was already the trainer of a Grand National winner. 

Charles had two rides on his first day as a jockey at Stockbridge on July 6, 1898, but neither Melanyl, who finished fourth in the Johnstone Handicap, nor Coral Strand, unplaced in the Danebury Selling Plate, were involved in the finish.  

That, incidentally, was the last meeting ever held at Stockbridge. The racecourse’s future had been in jeopardy for more than a decade, as part of it lay on land that had been inherited by Marianne Vaudrey, a cousin of the previous owner. She was strongly opposed to racing and all the evils associated with it. 

The writing was on the wall when she sued Tom Cannon, who had taken over the adjacent stables at Danebury, for trespass. The complicated verdict resulted in Cannon no longer being able to train horses on the common downs. 

Mrs Vaudrey then gave notice that no further race meetings would be allowed when the lease on the land expired. Thus, the three-day meeting from 5th to 7th July 1898 was the last to be held over the Stockbridge course.

The historic Bibury Club, which had been in existence since the late 18th century and had staged its annual race meetings at Stockbridge, moved to Salisbury the following year. It was there, on July 5, 1899, that Charles Cannon rode his first winner when Madreperla won the Juvenile Selling Plate by a neck, with brothers Morny in third place and Kempton in sixth. The winner was trained by Charles’s brother Tom Junior. Charles doubled his score for the season when Boris won the All-Aged Selling Plate at Newmarket on September 28. 

Charles rode 17 winners in 1900 including doubles at Gatwick and Manchester. There were six more in 1901, but by then he was already nearing the end of his career. He took the occasional ride for the next few years but it was not until 1909 that he entered the winner’s enclosure again, courtesy of The Imp, who won the Trial Selling Plate at Pontefract on September 22. The trainer was the legendary Fred Withington, and it was he who supplied Charles with his last winner when Foresight walked over in the Madeley Plate at Wolverhampton on October 11, 1909. 

His final ride was on a horse owned by his father, named Meg Orvieto, who finished unplaced in the Two-Year-Old Selling Plate at Windsor on July 19, 1910. 

The closest Charles came to riding a big winner was probably when Lackford finished third, beaten three-quarters of a length and a short-head, in the 1901 Lincolnshire Handicap. He twice finished unplaced in the 1,000 Guineas, and in 1906 partnered 100-1 outsider Minos who finished well down the field in the Derby.

Charles Cannon died in 1968.