1981 Epsom Derby

1981 Epsom Derby
Derby

Location	Epsom Downs Racecourse
Date	3 June 1981
Winning horse	Shergar
SP	10/11 Fav
Jockey	Walter Swinburn
Trainer	Michael Stoute
Owner	Aga Khan IV
Conditions	Dead

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.

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 widest in the history of the race. The winning time of 2:44.21 was the slowest since 1946.

Race details

Sponsor: none
Winner's prize money: £149,900
Going: Dead
Number of runners: 18
Winner's time: 2 minutes, 44.21 seconds

Full result

	Dist *	Horse	Jockey	Trainer	SP
1		Shergar	Walter Swinburn	Michael Stoute	10-11
2	10	Glint of Gold	John Matthias	Ian Balding	13-1
3	2	Scintillating Air	Geoff Baxter	Bruce Hobbs	50-1
4	2	Shotgun	Lester Piggott	Chris Thornton	7-1
5	4	Church Parade	Willie Carson	Dick Hern	25-1
6	1½	Sheer Grit	Joe Mercer	Clive Brittain	28-1
7	1	Silver Season	Ernie Johnson	Clive Brittain	100-1
8	hd	Riberetto	Pat Eddery	Ron Boss	22-1
9	4	Sunley Builds	Philip Waldron	Gavin Hunter	200-1
10	3	Kings General	Brian Taylor	Guy Harwood	150-1
11	shd	Sass	John Reid	Paul Kelleway	500-1
12	4	Krug	Bruce Raymond	Stan Mellor	66-1
13	3	Kalaglow	Greville Starkey	Guy Harwood	11-1
14	2	Robellino	Paul Cook	Ian Balding	28-1
15	6	Golden Brigadier	Paul Bradwell	Clive Brittain	150-1
16	½	Kind of Hush	Steve Cauthen	Barry Hills	25-1
17	20	Al Nasr	Alfred Gibert	Andre Fabre (FR)	16-1
18	¾	Waverley Hall	Bryn Crossley	Rod Simpson	1000-1
DNS		Lydian	Freddy Head	Criquette Head

Lydian refused to enter the stalls and was withdrawn at the start^[1]

Winner details

Further details of the winner, Shergar:

Foaled: 3 March 1978, in Ireland
Sire: Great Nephew; Dam: Sharmeen (Val de Loir)
Owner: Aga Khan IV
Breeder: Aga Khan IV

Form analysis

Two-year-old races

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

Church Parade – 1st in Lanson Champagne Stakes, 3rd in Champagne Stakes
Glint of Gold - 1st in Gran Criterium
Kalaglow - 1st in Horris Hill Stakes
Robellino - 2nd in Chesham Stakes, 1st in Seaton Delaval Stakes, 1st in Royal Lodge Stakes
Sheer Grit - 3rd in William Hill Futurity
Shergar - 2nd in William Hill Futurity

The road to Epsom

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

Al Nasr - 1st in Prix La Force
Glint of Gold - 1st in Derby Italiano
Kind of Hush – 1st in Craven Stakes
Kings General - 3rd in Sandown Classic Trial
Riberetto – 1st in Lingfield Derby Trial
Robellino - 2nd in Blue Riband Trial Stakes
Scintillating Air - 3rd in Dante Stakes
Sheer Grit – 2nd in Lingfield Derby Trial
Shergar – 1st in Sandown Classic Trial, 1st in Chester Vase
Shotgun - 2nd in Dante Stakes
Sunley Builds – 2nd in Chester Vase

Subsequent Group 1 wins

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

Al Nasr – Prix d'Ispahan (1982)
Glint of Gold – Grand Prix de Paris (1981), Preis von Europa (1981), Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud (1982), Grosser Preis von Baden (1982)
Kalaglow – Eclipse Stakes (1982), King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes (1982)
Shergar – Irish Derby (1981), King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes (1981)

References

↑ Baerlein, Richard (1984). Shergar and the Aga Khan's Thoroughbred Empire. London: Michael Joseph. ISBN 0718121767.
↑ Timeform staff (1981). Racehorses of 1980. Timeform. ISBN 0-900-59931-6.
↑ Timeform staff (1982). Racehorses of 1981. Timeform. ISBN 0-900-59933-2.

Epsom Derby

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Related articles	Epsom Downs Epsom Oaks Derby Trials

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