The 1981 Grand National was the 135th renewal of the world-famous Grand National

Grand National

The Grand National is a world-famous National Hunt horse race which is held annually at Aintree Racecourse, near Liverpool, England. It is a handicap chase run over a distance of four miles and 856 yards , with horses jumping thirty fences over two circuits of Aintree's National Course...

 horse race

Horse racing

Horse racing is an equestrian sport that has a long history. Archaeological records indicate that horse racing occurred in ancient Babylon, Syria, and Egypt. Both chariot and mounted horse racing were events in the ancient Greek Olympics by 648 BC...

 that took place at Aintree Racecourse

Aintree Racecourse

Aintree Racecourse is a racecourse in Aintree, Merseyside, England.It was served by Aintree Racecourse railway station until the station closed in the 1960s....

 near Liverpool

Liverpool

Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...

, England

England

England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...

, in April 1981.

It is remembered for the winning horse Aldaniti

Aldaniti

Aldaniti , , was a famous racehorse who won the Grand National on 4 April 1981. Jockey Bob Champion famously recovered from cancer while Aldaniti recovered after suffering a career threatening injury. The horse was trained by Josh Gifford...

, who had recovered from chronic leg problems, and his jockey Bob Champion

Bob Champion

Robert "Bob" Champion MBE was born in Guisborough, in the north of England, on 4 June 1948. He is an English jump jockey who won the 1981 Grand National on Aldaniti. His triumph was made into a film Champions, with John Hurt portraying Champion...

, who had recovered from cancer.

Aldaniti's injuries dated back to 1976. Champion was diagnosed with testicular cancer

Testicular cancer

Testicular cancer is cancer that develops in the testicles, a part of the male reproductive system.In the United States, between 7,500 and 8,000 diagnoses of testicular cancer are made each year. In the UK, approximately 2,000 men are diagnosed each year. Over his lifetime, a man's risk of...

 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.

Finishing order

Position	Name	Jockey Jockey A jockey is an athlete who rides horses in horse racing or steeplechase racing, primarily as a profession. The word also applies to camel riders in camel racing.-Etymology:...	Age	Weight	SP	Distance
1st	Aldaniti Aldaniti Aldaniti , , was a famous racehorse who won the Grand National on 4 April 1981. Jockey Bob Champion famously recovered from cancer while Aldaniti recovered after suffering a career threatening injury. The horse was trained by Josh Gifford...	Bob Champion Bob Champion Robert "Bob" Champion MBE was born in Guisborough, in the north of England, on 4 June 1948. He is an English jump jockey who won the 1981 Grand National on Aldaniti. His triumph was made into a film Champions, with John Hurt portraying Champion...	11	10-13	10/1	Four lengths