Aldaniti: The Story of a Champion

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At the Elbow I felt a horse come to my quarters but didn’t look. You sense a horse is there. But I went and won two or three lengths. Also Bob Davies, when he won on Lucius, he took it up too early and still won - I had all those excuses! On the casting of Hurt, Champion said: “What a professional, every film he’d been in. Sadly, he is not with us anymore. But he was a fantastic man. On April 4 1981 Aldaniti and Champion started the National as the 10-1 second favourite behind 8-1 shot Spartan Missile – who had previously won the Foxhunters’ Chase, run over the big Aintree fences twice.

The first time I got round was the Crisp versus Red Rum National, and to me that was the greatest National ever," he said.

The team at the Bob Champion Research and Education Building in Norwich. Bob’s charity fundraising continues. This year he will embark on a near 200‐mile walk to mark the 40th anniversary of his National win. Bob Champion, holding his book, with Aldanti at Covent Garden, London on September 14 1981 Picture by Ray Moreton/Keystone/Getty Images)

But Champion – who, for the last 40 years has raised millions through his cancer charity, the Bob Champion Trust, for which he received an CBE in the New Year’s Honours List following on from his MBE given by the Queen in 1982 – never gave up hope of returning to the saddle. As well as his book and the film, Champion was surprised by presenter Eamonn Andrews for the television show, This Is Your Life, on his wedding day later that year. But I didn't go into the race thinking 'this is going to lead to the Bob Champion Cancer Trust' or anything like that. I just wanted to go into the race and win it, because it had really been my ambition for all of my life. Champion refers to Aldaniti as "the old horse" a lot. Their lives, even now, are inseparable. In the race, Aldaniti, a 10-1 shot, beat Spartan Missile, ridden by an amateur, Mr John Thorne, who was killed a year later in a point-to-point. Even in its aftermath the 1981 Grand National was redemptive and tragic by turns. What happened next cemented Botham’s name in legend. He came to the crease with his team at 105 for 5, and in need of 122 runs to avoid an innings defeat. The then 26-year-old delivered a sensational innings of 149 not out.

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I hit the front three and a half miles too early because he used to pull very hard but he was jumping so he got himself there.

These early experiences instilled in him the love of horses and riding that would eventually carry him to a Grand National triumph. It was agonising the way it was going wrong,” remembers Brough Scott, who counselled his old friend that perhaps it was time to quit. “But thank God he didn’t listen to me. He said, ‘There’s this horse called Aldaniti… he’s going to win the National.’ Stubbornness is a good thing sometimes.” then he or she may make this known to Aldaniti Nonetheless, the receipt of said notification shall not represent knowledge for the purposes of liability as set out in Article 17 of the Spanish Law on Information Society Services and Electronic Commerce (LSSICE).Since retiring from racing, Bob’s career has encompassed everything from training – “I had a winner over the National fences which meant an awful lot to me” – to being a roving ambassador for the British Racing School, and various TV show appearances. But barely a month goes by when he isn’t out supporting the Trust. At only 15 years old, Bob Champion won his first horse race. After his initial taste of victory, he continued to race on the National Hunt circuit. Despite a mistake at the first fence everything went to plan, 10 years on from Champion’s Grand National debut on Country Wedding – when he fell at the first.

On cancer awareness, Champion said: “The most important thing is, if you think there’s something wrong, go and see a doctor, and it hasn’t been very good through the pandemic. It’s Aldaniti in the lead but being pressed now by Spartan Missile. It’s Aldaniti from Spartan Missile and here comes John Thorne, 54 year old John Thorne putting in a storming finish. It’s Aldaniti from Spartan Missile. Aldaniti is gonna win it, at the line, Aldaniti wins the National! There always seems to be a story involved with it - you've got 40 runners, everybody in the country used to have their one bet a year on the Grand National." Australia then had a target of 130 to beat, but they were dismissed for 111, with the Botham-inspired England becoming only the second team in Test Match history to win after being made to follow on.Despite the inevitable outpouring of admiration from all present, Champion's mind had already turned to the next race and he therefore had little time to bask in what he and his mount had just achieved. Aldaniti (by Derek H) could pull like a tank and yet was gentle enough to let 11-year-old Alex Embiricos groom him when on box rest. I was written off. Everybody said I was finished. But Josh (Gifford, Aldiniti’s trainer) stood by me, and as you can see we came good on the right day.” Last December, Champion took part in The Full Monty on Ice for ITV. The show aimed to raise cancer awareness during a time when most minds were fixed on the global pandemic.