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1981 Grand National
The 1981 Grand National (officially known as '' The Sun'' Grand National for sponsorship reasons) was the 135th renewal of the Grand National horse race that took place at Aintree Racecourse near Liverpool, England, on 4 April 1981. It is remembered for the winning horse Aldaniti, who had recovered from chronic leg problems, and his jockey Bob Champion, who had recovered from cancer. Aldaniti's injuries dated back to 1976, while Champion had been diagnosed with testicular cancer 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. The story of Bob Champion and Aldaniti was made into a film ''Champions'', with John Hurt portraying Champion. The film is based on Champion's book ''Champion's Story'', which he co-wrote with ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Grand National
The Grand National is a National Hunt horse race held annually at Aintree Racecourse in Liverpool, England. First run in 1839, it is a handicap steeplechase over an official distance of about 4 miles and 2½ furlongs (), with horses jumping 30 fences over two laps.''British Racing and Racecourses'' () by Marion Rose Halpenny – Page 167 It is the most valuable jump race in Europe, with a prize fund of £1 million in 2017. An event that is prominent in British culture, the race is popular amongst many people who do not normally watch or bet on horse racing at other times of the year. The course over which the race is run features much larger fences than those found on conventional National Hunt tracks. Many of these fences, particularly Becher's Brook, The Chair and the Canal Turn, have become famous in their own right and, combined with the distance of the event, create what h ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Starting Price
In horse racing, the starting price (SP) is the odds prevailing on a particular horse in the on-course fixed-odds betting market at the time a race begins. The method by which SPs are set for each runner varies in different countries but is generally by consensus of an appointed panel on the basis of their observations of the fluctuation in prices at the racetrack. This is done as follows: For each horse the odds offered by the bookmakers are ordered into a list from longest to shortest. This list is then divided into halves and the SP is the shortest odds available in the half containing the longest odds. Thus the SP or a longer price will have been offered by at least half the bookmakers in the sample. ''Note'': This method is slightly different from the method of calculating the median. The principal function of a starting price is to determine returns on those winning bets where fixed odds have not been taken at the time the bet was struck. Typically, on the day of t ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
IMDb
IMDb (an abbreviation of Internet Movie Database) is an online database of information related to films, television series, home videos, video games, and streaming content online – including cast, production crew and personal biographies, plot summaries, trivia, ratings, and fan and critical reviews. IMDb began as a fan-operated movie database on the Usenet group "rec.arts.movies" in 1990, and moved to the Web in 1993. It is now owned and operated by IMDb.com, Inc., a subsidiary of Amazon. the database contained some million titles (including television episodes) and million person records. Additionally, the site had 83 million registered users. The site's message boards were disabled in February 2017. Features The title and talent ''pages'' of IMDb are accessible to all users, but only registered and logged-in users can submit new material and suggest edits to existing entries. Most of the site's data has been provided by these volunteers. Registered users with a prov ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Grandstand (BBC)
''Grandstand'' was a British television sport programme. Broadcast between 1958 and 2007, it was one of the BBC's longest running sports shows, alongside ''BBC Sports Personality of the Year''. The last editions of ''Grandstand'' were broadcast over the weekend of 27–28 January 2007. History During the 1950s, sports coverage on television in the United Kingdom gradually expanded. The BBC regularly broadcast sports programmes with an outside studio team, occasionally from two or three separate locations. Production assistant Bryan Cowgill put forward a proposal for a programme lasting three hours; one hour dedicated to major events and two hours showing minor events. Outside Broadcast members held a meeting in April 1958, and Cowgill further detailed his plans taking timing and newer technical facilities into consideration. During the development of the programme, problems arose over the proposed schedule which would result in the programme ending at 4:45pm to allow children' ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
David Coleman
David Robert Coleman OBE (26 April 1926 – 21 December 2013) was a British sports commentator and television presenter who worked for the BBC for 46 years. He covered eleven Summer Olympic Games from 1960 to 2000 and six FIFA World Cups from 1962 to 1982. Coleman presented some of the BBC's leading sporting programmes, including ''Grandstand'' and ''Sportsnight'' (originally titled ''Sportsnight with Coleman'' until 1972), and was the host of ''A Question of Sport'' for 18 years. He retired from the BBC in 2000. Later that year he became the first broadcaster to receive the Olympic Order award, in recognition of his contribution to the Olympic movement. Early life Born in Alderley Edge, Cheshire, of Irish heritage (his immediate family hailed from County Cork), Coleman was a keen amateur runner. He competed as a schoolboy middle-distance runner. In 1949, Coleman won the Manchester Mile as a member of Stockport Harriers, the only non-international runner to do so. He competed ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Hywel Davies (jockey)
Hywel Davies is a retired Welsh professional National Hunt jockey. He rode for 16 years with 761 wins in the UK and he ended his riding career in 1994. Early life Davies is a Welsh speaker and didn't speak English until he was 7 years of age. He attended Cardigan Comprehensive School from 1969 until 1975. Racing career Davies was the retained jockey for Tim Forster for 8 years at his Letcombe Bassett stables near Lambourn in Berkshire. He became a freelance jockey and rode for several other trainers like Josh Gifford and Nicky Henderson. He won the 1985 Grand National on Last Suspect a 50-1 outsider. He retired from riding at the age of 37 in 1994. Since retiring Davies has been the UK representative Gain Horse Feeds. Career after racing Davies has been a guest horse racing commentator on At the Races, Channel 4 Racing, BBC Cymru BBC Cymru Wales is a division of the BBC and the main public broadcaster in Wales. It is one of the four BBC national regions, alongside the ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Richard Quinn (jockey)
Thomas Richard Quinn, better known as Richard Quinn (born 2 December 1961) is a Scottish jockey. Life and career After leaving Bannockburn High School in 1977, aged 15, he moved to York to work as a stable lad. This career led to Quinn moving to work for Paul Cole in Lambourn for 17 years (1981–1998). After some years as a freelance jockey, he joined Henry Cecil in Newmarket (2000–2004). Quinn has raced with owners Prince Fahd bin Salman (1990–1991) and John L. Dunlop. Among other victories, Quinn has achieved 26 victories at Goodwood Racecourse. He briefly retired in 2006, only to return to racing early the next year. Quinn now lives in Great Shefford. Selected victories *1987 - Derby Italiano (riding Zaizoom) *1990 - Irish St. Leger (riding Ibn Bey) *1990 - Irish Oaks (riding Knight's Baroness) *1990 - St. Leger Stakes (riding Snurge) *1994 - Derby Italiano (riding Time Star) *1994 - Goodwood Cup (riding Tioman Island) *2000 - Epsom Oaks (riding Love Divine) *2000 ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
The Chair (Aintree Racecourse)
The Chair is a fence on Aintree Racecourse's National Course and thus is one of 30 that are jumped during the Grand National steeplechase which is held annually at the racecourse near Liverpool, England. It is the 15th fence that the runners jump and is one of only two (the other being the 16th, the Water Jump) in the race to be negotiated only once. Positioned in front of the grandstand, it is the tallest fence on the course, at , preceded by a open ditch on the takeoff side. The Chair is also comfortably the narrowest fence on the Grand National course, bar the Water Jump. The landing side of The Chair fence is actually above the ground on the takeoff side, creating the reverse effect to that at the Becher's Brook fence, meaning the ground comes up to meet horse and rider sooner than anticipated. Generally it is jumped fairly safely by most horses in the Grand National field, probably due to the lengthy run they have before reaching the fence, and because, by the time the fen ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Colin Brown (jockey)
Colin Brown (born 16 August 1955) is a former National Hunt jockey in the UK, best known for his association with the famous steeplechaser Desert Orchid. He rode Desert Orchid in more than half his races, a total of 42 starts, winning 17 times. Many of Brown's successes were achieved through his association with Desert Orchid's trainer, David Elsworth. During his 16-year career, he rode more than 400 winners, among them Barnbrook Again in the 1987 Irish Sweeps Hurdle (now known as the Boylesports.com Hurdle), Burrough Hill Lad, Combs Ditch and Floyd, winner of the 1985 Imperial Cup, 1987 Fighting Fifth Hurdle and 1988 Kingwell Hurdle. He rode the 1989 Grand National winner Little Polveir when completing the course in the 1986 Grand National and when falling in the 1987 Grand National. He also partnered the 1988 Grand National winner, Rhyme 'n' Reason, to victory in the Mildmay Cazalet Memorial Chase at Sandown Park three months before his win at Aintree Racecourse. Brown retired ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Philip Hobbs
Philip Hobbs (born 26 July 1955) is a British racehorse trainer specializing mainly in National Hunt racing. He is based at stables near Minehead, Somerset. His biggest wins have come with Flagship Uberalles in the 2002 Queen Mother Champion Chase, Rooster Booster in the 2003 Champion Hurdle, Detroit City in the 2006 Triumph Hurdle and Massini's Maguire in the 2007 Ballymore Properties Novices' Hurdle. He has also trained flat race winners, notably winning the 2006 Cesarewitch Handicap with Detroit City. Dream Alliance Welsh cup winner. He had his 3,000th winner at Newbury on 11 February 2023 with Zanza. Cheltenham winners (19) * Champion Hurdle - (1) Rooster Booster (2003) * Queen Mother Champion Chase - (1) Flagship Uberalles (2002) * Supreme Novices' Hurdle - (1) Menorah (2010) * Arkle Challenge Trophy - (1) Captain Chris (2011) * Baring Bingham Novices' Hurdle - (1) Massini's Maguire (2007) * Triumph Hurdle - (3) Made in Japan (2004), Detroit City (2006), Defi du Seuil ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Canal Turn
The Canal Turn is a fence on Aintree Racecourse's National Course and thus is jumped during the Grand National Steeplechase (horse racing), steeplechase which is held annually at the racecourse, located near Liverpool, England. Named for the Leeds & Liverpool Canal which passes alongside the racecourse at this point, it is jumped twice during the race, as the and fences. The fence is notable for the sharp left turn that the runners have to take as soon as they have negotiated the fence. The turn is almost 90 degrees and it is not uncommon for jockeys to become unbalanced as they change course; unseatings and falls are common. Seven equine fatalities have been recorded at the Canal Turn in Grand Nationals since the race was first run officially in 1839 Grand National, 1839; the most recent death was that of The Last Fling in 2002 Grand National, 2002. The Canal Turn has been the scene of a number of incidents that have had a major impact upon the outcome of the Grand National. In ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Becher's Brook
Becher's Brook ( ) is a fence jumped during the Grand National, a National Hunt horse race held annually at Aintree Racecourse near Liverpool, England. It is jumped twice during the race, as the and fence, as well as on four other occasions during the year. It has always been a notorious and controversial obstacle, because of the size and angle of the 6 ft 9in drop on the landing side. Some jockeys have compared it to "jumping off the edge of the world." After the deaths of Dark Ivy in the 1987 Grand National and Seeandem and Brown Trix in the 1989 Grand National, all at Becher's Brook, Aintree bowed to pressure from animal rights groups and undertook extensive modifications to the fence. Further changes were made after two horses, Ornais and Dooneys Gate, died during the 2011 Grand National, the latter at Becher's. The incident involving Dooneys Gate resulted in the fence being jumped only once for the first time in the race's history; it was bypassed on the outside on ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
