1981 Epsom Derby
| 1981 Epsom Derby | |
|---|---|
| Derby | |
 | |
| Location | Epsom Downs Racecourse |
| Date | 3 June 1982 |
| 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- Lydian refused to enter the stalls and was withdrawn at the start[1]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)