Aldaniti: The Story of a Champion

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It was the year of Red Rum versus Crisp,” says Bob. “To me that was the bees’ knees, to get round in the greatest National there’s ever been.” But if there’s something wrong first thing you do go and see your doctor that’s the most important thing and hopefully if there’s something wrong, do something early because the earlier you catch cancer, the better chance you’ve got to recover.”

I remember looking to one side and seeing Rubstic, who'd won a couple of years before, and on my other side was Sebastian V, who finished second the same year, so they were another two excuses. He had a heart bigger than himself. He always wanted to go faster than he could and he tried his heart out. He broke down and had injuries for about four times in his life. He spent more time in his box than he did on the racecourse. John did things in the script. In his own way, you know, and he never copied me or anything, but we are quite alike, I suppose. Because we both from the north. So, you know, we’ve got that same mentality.”Coming in four-and-a-half lengths ahead of the competition, Champion and Aldaniti beat the odds and made history. The Reaction I sat on him once for the TV before he went to Liverpool and one morning in Liverpool, then the Grand Naitonal.” Niti returned to the Embiricos farm (in the care of Beryl and Wilf Millam) to recuperate from injuries, and later to retire. He died there aged 27, and is buried there. It’s Aldaniti from Spartan Missile. Aldaniti is gonna win it, at the line, Aldaniti wins the National!”

Amid the euphoria, Bob briefly thought of retiring then and there – “What a way to end your career, winning the National” – but in the end did it a couple of years later, after another win in his home county of Yorkshire. What people forget is that he was only 28 when he quit to take over from Ryan Price training his jumpers and he'd already been champion four times by then. He'd started off on the Flat and been a very good apprentice too, winning big races. 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.

Champion knew the agreed tactics had been abandoned at that point and was already arming himself with examples of successful front-running rides to justify his departure from the game plan to Gifford. But I kept my head down and you know, the further I went the further I was going to win and it wasn’t till after the race. I knew it was Spartan Missile, because I asked somebody coming in what was second.” Bob Champion and Aldaniti are given a heroes welcome after winning the 1981 Grand National. Credit- The Bob Champion Cancer Trust. 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. Image: Aldaniti, with Champion in the saddle, jumps the last fence to go on to win the Grand National activities or content that endanger the protection of public health, respect for personal dignity and the principle of non-discrimination, and the protection of health and children,

Aldaniti starred as himself in the 1983 film Champions alongside John Hurt. His Grand National win was voted 61st of the 100 Greatest Sporting Moments in a Channel 4 opinion poll. The horse must have been the best patient in the world because he was tied up for six months in plaster. He couldn’t lay down. He just stood there at the end of a rope just eating his food for six months. His constitution was great. A lot of horses would have gone crazy – I know I would have done. He was such a wonderful patient. Beryl, who looked after him - they all did a fantastic job. Aldaniti will always be closely connected to Champion, who was in the saddle for each of the horse’s first 22 races.

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He raced over the famous Aintree fences eight times after returning to Britain, always keeping his eyes on the big prize. However, his career and life was about to take a major detour. Champion’s Illness The reason it made it to the movies is the tale behind the victory was one of the most remarkable, even in the storied history of the Aintree showpiece. Josh also liked the fact that Bob rarely used the whip. “Coming from a good hunting family, Bob had a natural seat and horses did jump for him,” agrees Althea. “Josh liked the fact that he could help them and see a good stride.” 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." Three years after winning in the National, a film was made about Champion’s recovery from cancer. The film starred the late great John Hurt portraying Champion.