1981 Grand National

English steeplechase horse race May 2014 May 2014 1981 Grand National Grand National Aintree Racecourse 4 April 1981 England Aldaniti 10/1 England Bob Champion England Josh Gifford Nick Embiricos Good 1980 1982 right 275px 1981 Grand National in full BBC Sport/YouTube 1981 Grand National in full BBC Sport/YouTube It's Aldaniti in the lead but being pressed now by Spartan Missile. It's Aldaniti from Spartan Missile and here comes John Thorne, 54 year old John Thorne putting in a storming finish. It's Aldaniti from Spartan Missile. Aldaniti is gonna win it, at the line, Aldaniti wins the National! BBC commentator Peter O'Sullevan describes the climax of the race 25% 1 right The 1981 Grand National (officially known as The Sun Grand National for sponsorship reasons) was the 135th renewal of the Grand National horse race that took place at Aintree Racecourse near Liverpool, England, on 4 April 1981. It is remembered for the winning horse Aldaniti, who had recovered from chronic leg problems, and his jockey Bob Champion, who had recovered from cancer. Aldaniti's injuries dated back to 1976, while Champion had been diagnosed with testicular cancer in 1979. However, Aldaniti was nursed back to optimum form ahead of the race, and Champion overcame lengthy hospitalisation and chemotherapy to win the National by a distance of four lengths.Aldaniti 1981 Grand National http://www.grand-national.me.uk/aldaniti.php Grand National Guide 16 March 2014 11 March 2010 In second place was the 8/1 favourite, Spartan Missile, ridden by 54-year-old amateur jockey and grandfather John Thorne.BBC News GRAND NATIONAL The Grand National 1956-1999 https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/in_depth/sport/2000/grand_national/701741.stm 16 August 2014 news.bbc.co.uk 4 March 2000 https://web.archive.org/web/20070908000813/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/in_depth/sport/2000/grand_national/701741.stm 8 September 2007 live dmy-all The story of Bob Champion and Aldaniti was made into a film Champions, with John Hurt portraying Champion. The film is based on Champion's book Champion's Story, which he co-wrote with close friend and racing journalist and broadcaster Jonathan Powell. Finishing order PositionHorseJockeyAgeHandicap (st-lb)SPDistance01AldanitiBob Champion1110-1310/14 lengths02Spartan MissileJohn Thorne911-58/1 F03Royal MailPhilip Blacker1111-716/104Three To OneGeordie Dun1010-333/105Senator MaclacuryJohn Burke710-1220/106Royal ExileBen De Haan1210-016/107RubsticMaurice Barnes1210-711/108CoolishallBill Smith1210-325/109RathlekPaul Barton1110-150/110SoJohn Francome1210-840/111Sebastian VRidley Lamb1310-233/112CheersPeter Scudamore910-020/1Last to finish Non-finishers FenceHorseJockeyAgeWeight (st-lb)SPFate01Another CaptainColin Hawkins910-040/1Fell01Barney MaclyvieMartin Lynch1010-833/1Unseated rider04Bryan BoruJohn Carden1010-0100/1Refused04DelmossFrank Berry1110-150/1Fell04KilkilwellNiall Madden910-633/1Refused04ChumsonAiden O'Connell1011-750/1Fell08 (Canal Turn)Another ProspectJim Wilson910-840/1Fell09 (Valentine's)DrumroanMarcus Graffe1310-650/1Unseated rider09 (Valentine's)No GypsyJohn Suthern1210-0100/1Fell10Carrow BoyGerry Newman911-633/1Fell10KininviePhilip Hobbs1210-0100/1Unseated rider11 (open ditch)TenecoonCharlie Mann1210-0100/1Unseated rider12DromorePeter Duggan1310-8100/1Refused13Lord GulliverColin Brown810-050/1Fell17Kylogue LadyRichard Quinn910-0100/1Fell19 (open ditch)DeiopeaLinda Sheedy1010-0100/1Refused19 (open ditch)Son and HeirSam Morshead1110-0100/1Refused19 (open ditch)The VintnerChris Grant1010-820/1Refused20Royal StuartHywel Davies1010-216/1Unseated rider22 (Becher's Brook)PacifySteve Jobar1110-050/1Fell22 (Becher's Brook)ZongaleroSteve Smith-Eccles1110-1114/1Fell24 (Canal Turn)Three Of DiamondsPaul Leach910-4100/1Fell26Might BeAnthony Webber1010-050/1Fell27 (open ditch)Choral FestivalMarcus Low1010-266/1Unseated rider27 (open ditch)MartinstownMalcolm Batters910-733/1Unseated rider27 (open ditch)My Friendly CousinAlan Brown1110-2100/1Pulled up28CasamayorPaul Webber1110-6100/1Refused Aldaniti & the 1981 Grand National - Result & Analysis Aldaniti81.webs.com http://aldaniti81.webs.com/result-analysis 16 August 2014 dead https://web.archive.org/web/20140819082601/http://aldaniti81.webs.com/result-analysis 19 August 2014 dmy-allThe Grand National : the history of the Aintree spectacular, by Stewart Peters & Bernard Parkin, 0-7524-3547-7Grand National Anorak | http://www.freewebs.com/grandnationalanorak/wheretheyfell.htm https://web.archive.org/web/20120405072402/http://www.freewebs.com/grandnationalanorak/wheretheyfell.htm 5 April 2012 live 16 June 2013 dmy Media coverage David Coleman presented Grand National Grandstand on the BBC in what turned out being one of the most famous Nationals of all-time. On BBC radio Peter Bromley gave an emotional commentary after which John Oaksey remarked: "If an imaginative novelist had dreamt up that result everybody would have called him a very silly imaginative novelist." Aftermath The story of Champion and Aldaniti become known as Racing's greatest fairytale, and has become a lasting inspiration to people battling cancer ever since. Two years after the victory, the Bob Champion Cancer Trust was created https://www.bobchampion.org.uk/ The Bob Champion Cancer Trust www.bobchampion.org.uk and the story inspired a movie of Bob's own personal battle to get fit to ride in the National the following year, called Champions starring John Hurt.https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0085320/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_11 Champions (1984) - IMDb IMDb References External links https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/other_sports/horse_racing/7324187.stm BBC Sport - Horse Racing - Archive - Aldaniti wins Grand National in 1981 6 April 2010 news.bbc.co.uk 2014-08-27 1981 1981 Grand National Grand National Grand National