{{short description|202nd annual running of the Derby horse race}} {{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}} {{Infobox horse race |name = 1981 Epsom Derby |horse race = Derby |image = |caption = |location = Epsom Downs Racecourse |date = 3 June 1981 |winning horse = Shergar |starting price = 10/11 Fav |winning jockey = Walter Swinburn |winning trainer = Michael Stoute |winning owner = Aga Khan IV |conditions = Dead |previous=1980 Epsom Derby |next=1982 Epsom Derby }} {{Jockey colours header | name = Epsom Derby 1981}} {{Jockey colours row | year = 1-2-3 | image1 = File:Owner H H Aga Khan.svg | alt1 = Green, red epaulets | caption1 = Shergar | image2 = File:Owner Kingsclere Racing Club.svg | alt2 = Black, gold cross and stripe on cap | caption2 = Glint of Gold | image3 = File:Owner Mr K C Dodson.svg | alt3 = Saxe blue, black collar, check cap | caption3 = Scintillating Air }} |} {| class="collapsible collapsed" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="clear:right; float:right; text-align:center; font-weight:bold;" width="280px" ! colspan="3" style="border:1px solid black; background-color: #77DD77;" | Also Ran {{Jockey colours row | year = 4-5-6 | image1 = File:Owner Mr Guy Reed.svg | alt1 = Gold and black check, pink sleeves and cap | caption1 = Shotgun | image2 = File:Owner The King.svg | alt2 = Purple, gold braid, scarlet sleeves, black velvet cap, gold fringe | caption2 = Church Parade | image3 = File:Owner Capt M Lemos.svg | alt3 = Royal blue, white hoop on body, striped cap | caption3 = Sheer Grit }} {{Jockey colours row | year = 7-8-9 | image1 = File:Owner Mr M Hassan.svg | alt1 = Red and yellow stripes, red sleeves, hooped cap | caption1 = Silver Season | image2 = File:Owner Mr D O McIntyre_original.svg | alt2 = Royal blue, white epaulets and star on cap | caption2 = Riberetto | image3 = File:Owner Bernard Sunley and Sons Ltd.svg | alt3 = Light green, black chevron, black cap, green star | caption3 = Sunley Builds }} {{Jockey colours row | year = 10-11-12 | image1 = File:Owner j e bodie.svg | alt1 = Emerald green, brown chevron hoop and armlets, brown cap, green hoop | caption1 = Kings General | image2 = File:Owner Mr Max Fine.svg | alt2 = Dark blue, white spots on body, maroon cap | caption2 = Sass | image3 = File:Owner Mr V Raibin.svg | alt3 = Light blue, white hoop, hooped sleeves, quartered cap | caption3 = Krug }} {{Jockey colours row | year = 13-14-15 | image1 = File:Owner Mr J T Vanner.svg | alt1 = Brown, beige quartered cap | caption1 = Kalaglow | image2 = File:Owner Mrs John A McDougald.svg | alt2 = French grey, cerise cross-belts and sleeves, striped cap | caption2 = Robellino | image3 = File:Owner Mr W J Gredley.svg | alt3 = Yellow, Black and Yellow striped sleeves, White cap | caption3 = Golden Brigadier }} {{Jockey colours row | year = 16-17-18 | image1 = File:Owner Mr A D Shead.svg | alt1 = Light green and black stripes, light green sleeves | caption1 = Kind of Hush | image2 = File:Owner Mr Moufid F Dabaghi.svg | alt2 = Yellow, red disc, blue sleeves, yellow and blue quartered cap | caption2 = Al Nasr | image3 = File:Owner Mr George A Zandona.svg | alt3 = White, royal blue stars, royal blue sleeves, white stars, white cap, blue star | caption3 = Waverley Hall }} {{Jockey colours row | year = 19 | image1 = File:Owner Ecurie Aland.svg | alt1 = Red | caption1 = Lydian | image2 = File: (at)-white.svg | alt2 = 19 Ran | caption2 = 19 Ran | image3 = File: (at)-white.svg | alt3 = | caption3 = 2m 44.21s }} {{Jockey colours footer}} 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 largest in the history of the race. However, 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== {| border="1" cellpadding="0" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-size:90%" |- bgcolor="#77dd77" align="center" | width="35px" | | width="45px" | '''Dist *''' | width="160px" | '''Horse''' | width="160px" | '''Jockey''' | width="190px" | '''Trainer''' | width="80px" | '''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 |André Fabre (FR) |16-1 |- |'''18''' |¾ |Waverley Hall |Bryn Crossley |Rod Simpson |1000-1 |- |'''DNS''' |<sup>'''1'''</sup> |Lydian |Freddy Head |Criquette Head | |}
<sup>1</sup> Lydian was scratched at the start after refusing to enter the stalls.<ref>{{cite book |last=Baerlein|first=Richard |title=Shergar and the Aga Khan's Thoroughbred Empire |year=1984 |publisher=Michael Joseph |location=London |isbn=0-7181-2176-7}}</ref>
==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:<ref name="Timeform1980">{{cite book |author=Timeform staff| title=Racehorses of 1980| publisher=Timeform|year=1981|isbn=0-900599-31-6}}</ref> <div style="font-size:85%"> * '''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'' </div>
===The road to Epsom=== Early-season appearances in 1981 and trial races prior to running in the Derby:<ref name="Timeform1981">{{cite book |author=Timeform staff| title=Racehorses of 1981| publisher=Timeform|year=1982|isbn=0-900599-33-2}}</ref> <div style="font-size:85%"> * '''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'' </div>
===Subsequent Group 1 wins=== Group 1 / Grade I victories after running in the Derby.
<div style="font-size:85%"> * '''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)'' </div>
==Subsequent breeding careers==
Leading progeny of participants in the 1981 Epsom Derby.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://galopp-sieger.de/ |title=Stammtafeln |website=Galopp Sieger |publisher=Galopp Sieger |access-date=April 12, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.racingpost.com/search/?tab=profiles&page=1&query=&profiles_type=horses_profiles |title=Profiles Search |work=Racing Post|access-date=April 12, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.pedigreequery.com/ |title=Progeny Reports |website=Pedigree Query |access-date=April 12, 2020}}</ref>
===Stallions of Classic winners=== <div style="font-size:85%"> '''Robellino''' (14th) * Mister Baileys – 1st 2000 Guineas Stakes (1996) * Classic Park – 1st Irish 1,000 Guineas (1997) ''Dam of Epsom Derby runner up and leading National Hunt sire Walk In The Park'' * Robertico – 1st Deutsches Derby (1998) * Royal Rebel – 1st Ascot Gold Cup (2001),(2002) '''Shergar''' (1st) * Authaal – 1st Irish St Leger (1986) * Maysoon – 2nd 1000 Guineas Stakes (1986), 3rd Epsom Oaks (1986) * Shibil – 3rd Derby Italiano (1986) * Sherkraine – 2nd Phoenix Stakes (1985) '''Al Nasr''' (17th) * Zaizoom – 1st Derby Italiano (1987) * Acteur Francais - 2nd Poule d'Essai des Poulains (1991) * Nasr El Arab – 1st Charles H. Strub Stakes (1989), 1st San Juan Capistrano Handicap (1989) * Prince Of Andros – 1st Tattersalls Gold Cup (1995)
</div>
===Stallions of Group/Grade One winners=== <div style="font-size:85%"> '''Kalaglow''' (13th) * Jeune – Australian Champion Racehorse of the Year (1994–1995) * Sternkönig – 3rd Deutsches Derby (1993), 1st Deutschland-Preis (1994) ''Sire of 2000 Derby Italiano winner Kallisto'' * Timarida – 1st Beverly D. Stakes (1996), 1st Bayerisches Zuchtrennen (1996), 1st Irish Champion Stakes (1996) * Shining Water – 1st Solario Stakes (1986) ''Dam of Tenby, Bude and Bright And Clear'' '''Glint of Gold''' (2nd) * Heart of Darkness – 1st National Stakes (1990) * Warfield – 3rd Prix du Cadran (1991) * Spinning – 3rd Man o' War Stakes (1992) * Vagog – 1st Long Walk Hurdle (1992) * Ikdam – 1st Triumph Hurdle (1989) </div>
===Stallions of National Hunt horses=== <div style="font-size:85%"> '''Sheer Grit''' (6th) * Clay County – 1st Northumberland Gold Cup Novices' Chase (1991) * Unsinkable Boxer – 1st Sefton Novices' Hurdle (1998) '''Riberetto''' (8th) * Jocks Cross – 1st Welsh National (2000) * Tarrs Bridge – 1st Bristol Novices' Hurdle (1996) '''Sunley Builds''' (9th) * Sunley Bay – 1st Mandarin Handicap Chase (1996) </div>
===Other stallions=== <div style="font-size:85%"> '''Kind Of Hush''' (16th) – Itsabrahma (2nd Prix de la Forêt 1991), Osario (3rd Prix de la Forêt 1991)<br />'''Silver Season''' (7th) – Great grandsire of 2007 Lancashire Oaks winner Turbo Linn<br />'''Church Parade''' (5th) – Exported to New Zealand, produced 1988 New Zealand 2000 Guineas runner up Testament<br />'''Scintillating Air''' (3rd) – Exported to India </div>
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== * [http://www.jockeycolours.com/derby/?year=1981&origin=wikipedia Colour Chart] – ''Derby 1981''
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{{Epsom Derby}}
Epsom Derby Epsom Derby Epsom Derby Epsom Derby 1981 Category:1980s in Surrey