Eddie Cracknell

Australian jockey Edwin James Cracknell was born in Sydney on May 25, 1926. He started his working life in a shipping office because his father, Sid Cracknell, a veteran jockey who had won the Sydney and Melbourne Derbys in 1926 on Rampion, did not want his son to follow in his footsteps. 

However, Eddie persuaded his father to change his mind, and Sid, having ridden Merry Monarch in a race in June, 1942, retired from the saddle and devoted the next two years to teaching young Eddie all the tricks of race riding he had learned during his 24 years as a jockey. 

Eddie duly became apprenticed to Sydney trainer Pat Nailon and rode his first winner on Early Morn at Newcastle, New South Wales, on Saturday 9 December, 1944. His career quickly took off – he once rode seven winners in two days. His younger brother, Max, also became a jockey.

Strangely, Eddie once had a dream that he would fall during a race. Riding Hidden Charms at Rosehill later, the dream came true and Eddie, badly bruised and with a broken rib, was rushed to hospital.

In March, 1947,  having recently completed his apprenticeship and having by then ridden 42 winners, arrived in Melbourne to ply his trade.

In April 1952, Eddie received a six-month retainer of £3,000 plus ‘presents’ from two stables while riding in India. He had ridden 26 winners there by that time and went to amass 150 winners before deciding to try his luck in Britain. 

He first appeared on a British race card on Monday June 21, 1954, when he rode Gulf of Happiness for trainer Ryan Jarvis at Folkestone. He went on to register his biggest wins in Britain on Casmiri in the 1956 Newbury Spring Cup and the 1959 Victoria Cup (dead-heat) on Alf’s Caprice. Other big race wins included the Queen Elizabeth Cup (twice), the New Stakes and the White Rose Stakes. He rode a total of 290 British winners. 

Eddie continued to ride in India during the winter. He won the Calcutta Derby six times. He was also leading jockey in India on three occasions.

On Monday, May 30, 1977,  Eddie, then aged 51, had a dream ending to his long career when steering 35/1 shot Swinger to victory at Hong Kong’s Happy Valley race track. It was his last ride: he then returned to Australia and began training.

Eddie Cracknell died on 4 April 1999, aged 72. His wife, Liz, had died a few months before him.

Eddie was the father of three daughters one of whom, Alison, was married to trainer Kim Brassey, but was killed in a car crash in Lambourn.

Eddie Cracknell

Biggest wins

1956: Newbury Spring Cup – Casmiri

1956: Queen Elizabeth Cup – Casmiri

1958: Queen Elizabeth Cup – Paul Jones 

1958: White Rose Stakes – Marwari 

1959: Victoria Cup – Alf’s Caprice (dead-heat)

1959: Windsor Castle Stakes – Monamolin