1981 Epsom Derby

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1981 Epsom Derby
Derby
Location Epsom Downs Racecourse
Date3 June 1981
Winning horse Shergar
Starting price 10/11 Fav
Jockey Walter Swinburn
Trainer Michael Stoute
Owner Aga Khan IV
Conditions Dead
Epsom Derby 1981
1-2-3
Owner H H Aga Khan.svg Owner Kingsclere Racing Club.svg Owner Mr K C Dodson.svg
ShergarGlint of GoldScintillating Air

The 1981 Epsom Derby was the 202nd annual running of the Derby horse race. It took place at Epsom Downs Racecourse on 3 June 1981.

Contents

The race was won by the Aga Khan's Shergar, at odds of 10/11 ridden by the nineteen-year-old jockey Walter Swinburn and trained at Newmarket, Suffolk by Michael Stoute. The winning margin of ten lengths was the largest in the history of the race. However, the winning time of 2:44.21 was the slowest since 1946.

Race details

Full result

Dist *HorseJockeyTrainer SP
1 Shergar Walter Swinburn Michael Stoute 10–11
210 Glint of Gold John Matthias Ian Balding 13-1
32Scintillating AirGeoff Baxter Bruce Hobbs 50-1
42Shotgun Lester Piggott Chris Thornton7-1
54Church Parade Willie Carson Dick Hern 25-1
6Sheer Grit Joe Mercer Clive Brittain 28-1
71Silver Season Ernie Johnson Clive Brittain 100-1
8hdRiberetto Pat Eddery Ron Boss22-1
94Sunley BuildsPhilip Waldron Gavin Hunter 200-1
103Kings General Brian Taylor Guy Harwood 150-1
11shdSass John Reid Paul Kelleway 500-1
124Krug Bruce Raymond Stan Mellor 66-1
133 Kalaglow Greville Starkey Guy Harwood 11-1
142Robellino Paul Cook Ian Balding 28-1
156Golden BrigadierPaul Bradwell Clive Brittain 150-1
16½Kind of Hush Steve Cauthen Barry Hills 25-1
1720 Al Nasr Alfred Gibert André Fabre (FR)16-1
18¾Waverley Hall Bryn Crossley Rod Simpson1000-1
DNS1Lydian Freddy Head Criquette Head

1 Lydian was scratched at the start after refusing to enter the stalls. [1]

Winner details

Further details of the winner, Shergar:

Form analysis

Two-year-old races

Notable runs by the future Derby participants as two-year-olds in 1980: [2]

The road to Epsom

Early-season appearances in 1981 and trial races prior to running in the Derby: [3]

Subsequent Group 1 wins

Group 1 / Grade I victories after running in the Derby.

Subsequent breeding careers

Leading progeny of participants in the 1981 Epsom Derby. [4] [5] [6]

Stallions of Classic winners

Robellino (14th)

Shergar (1st)

Al Nasr (17th)

Stallions of Group/Grade One winners

Kalaglow (13th)

Glint of Gold (2nd)

Stallions of National Hunt horses

Sheer Grit (6th)

  • Clay County – 1st Northumberland Gold Cup Novices' Chase (1991)
  • Unsinkable Boxer – 1st Sefton Novices' Hurdle (1998)

Riberetto (8th)

Sunley Builds (9th)

Other stallions

Kind Of Hush (16th) – Itsabrahma (2nd Prix de la Forêt 1991), Osario (3rd Prix de la Forêt 1991)
Silver Season (7th) – Great grandsire of 2007 Lancashire Oaks winner Turbo Linn
Church Parade (5th) – Exported to New Zealand, produced 1988 New Zealand 2000 Guineas runner up Testament
Scintillating Air (3rd) – Exported to India

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Bikala was an Irish-bred, French-trained Thoroughbred racehorse and sire. Having been bought very cheaply as a yearling he developed into a top-class middle-distance performer and was rated among the best horses in Europe at three and four years of age. He won the Prix du Jockey Club in 1981 and Prix Ganay in 1982 as well as finishing second in the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe and the Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud. He was retired to stud at the end of 1982 and had some success as a sire of winners.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Glint of Gold</span> British-bred Thoroughbred racehorse

Glint of Gold was a British Thoroughbred racehorse and sire. A middle-distance specialist, he was noted for his toughness and consistency, winning ten races, finishing second six times and third once in a seventeen race career which lasted from July 1980 until September 1982. He won races in four countries including six at Group One level. His major victories included the Gran Criterium and Derby Italiano in Italy, the Grand Prix de Paris and Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud in France, the Preis von Europa and Grosser Preis von Baden in Germany and the Great Voltigeur Stakes and John Porter Stakes in Britain. He was also placed in The Derby, St Leger Stakes, Coronation Cup and King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes. He was retired to stud at the end of the 1982 season and had modest success as a sire of winners.

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Beldale Flutter was an American-bred, British-trained Thoroughbred racehorse and sire. As a two-year-old in 1980 he was rated one of the best horses of his generation after winning three of his five races, most notably a decisive victory over Shergar in the William Hill Futurity. As a three-year-old he won the Dante Stakes and was second favourite for The Derby before sustaining a serious injury in training which kept him off the racecourse for three months. He returned in August to win the Benson and Hedges Gold Cup against older horses. He ran poorly in his two remaining races and was retired to stud, where he had limited success as a sire.

Al Nasr was a French Thoroughbred racehorse and sire. He was one of the leading horses of his generation in France, winning the Prix La Force and Prix de la Côte Normande as three-year-old in 1981 before reaching his peak as a four-year-old when he won the Prix Exbury, Prix Dollar and Prix d'Ispahan. He failed to reproduce his best form when competing abroad, running poorly in The Derby and the Arlington Million. He was retired to stud in 1983 and had some success as a sire of winners. Al Nasr was the first major flat race winner trained by André Fabre.

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References

  1. Baerlein, Richard (1984). Shergar and the Aga Khan's Thoroughbred Empire. London: Michael Joseph. ISBN   0-7181-2176-7.
  2. Timeform staff (1981). Racehorses of 1980. Timeform. ISBN   0-900599-31-6.
  3. Timeform staff (1982). Racehorses of 1981. Timeform. ISBN   0-900599-33-2.
  4. "Stammtafeln". Galopp Sieger. Galopp Sieger. Retrieved 12 April 2020.
  5. "Profiles Search". Racing Post . Retrieved 12 April 2020.
  6. "Progeny Reports". Pedigree Query. Retrieved 12 April 2020.