Carmi Morgan

Carmi Morgan

1906-2000

Article by Alan Trout

Having failed to ride a winner on the Flat, Carmi William John Morgan fared rather better over jumps with four victories. 

Born on October 14, 1906, he was apprenticed to William Young and had his first ride when Clyno was unplaced in the Newbury Spring Cup at that Berkshire venue on April 14, 1923. He continued to ride on the Flat until 1926. 

His first success over jumps came on April 18, 1928, when his mount Tremadoc, owned and trained by Bill Morgan, won the Blaenavon Handicap Hurdle at Newport by half a length, with Billy Stott finishing second on False Report. Billy was well on his way to becoming champion jockey for the first time and had already won the first three races on that Newport card. 

Carmi had partnered Tremadoc in all his six previous starts that season, the best performance having been when finishing second at Torquay’s Easter meeting.   

The following season saw Carmi strike up a good partnership with the seven-year-old gelding Anchorite, winning three races together in the autumn of 1928, beginning with victory in the Welland Park Selling Handicap Hurdle at Colwall Park on October 4, beating former champion jockey Eric Foster on Monsieur Bacon by three lengths.

Following a head defeat at Stratford two days later by Keith Piggott on Gavin, Carmi and Anchorite beat Keith brother Vic Piggott on Bardsey to land the Selling Handicap Hurdle at Ludlow on October 19 by two lengths.

After finishing unplaced at Newport on November 8, the pair returned to winning ways with a five-length victory in the Southam Selling Handicap Hurdle at Cheltenham on November 12. 

Although Carmi rode Anchorite for the rest of the season, the most they managed in ten races was three placed efforts. On their final start together, Anchorite refused at Newport on Whit Monday, May 20, 1929 in the Blaenavon Handicap Hurdle. That was Carmi’s last ride. He did not renew his licence the following season. 

Carmi Morgan died in 2000.