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. In second place was the 8/1 favourite, Spartan Missile, ridden by 54-year-old amateur jockey and grandfather John Thorne. 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 The Grand National : the history of the Aintree spectacular, by Stewart Peters & Bernard Parkin,
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 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.
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