# 1981 Epsom Derby

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

| | 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 | André Fabre (FR) | 16-1 |
| 18 | ¾ | Waverley Hall | Bryn Crossley | Rod Simpson | 1000-1 |
| DNS | $^1$ | Lydian | Freddy Head | Criquette Head | |
$^1$ Lydian was scratched at the start after refusing to enter the stalls.

## 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:
* 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:
* 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)

## Subsequent breeding careers

Leading progeny of participants in the 1981 Epsom Derby.

### Stallions of Classic winners

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)

### Stallions of Group/Grade One winners

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)

### 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)
* Jocks Cross – 1st Welsh National (2000)
* Tarrs Bridge – 1st Bristol Novices' Hurdle (1996)
Sunley Builds (9th)
* Sunley Bay – 1st Mandarin Handicap Chase (1996)

### 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