Charter Party (horse) previous year's winner West Tip. On his final appearance of the season he carried top weight to victory in the Golden Miller Chase at Cheltenham in April. Richard Dunwoody took over as Charter Party's regular jockey in the 1986/7 National Hunt season. The campaign was not a successful one, as the gelding failed to win in six races. He finished fourth on his debut at Wincanton, was pulled up in the Hennessy Gold Cup and ran third in under top-weight in the Mandarin Chase. He fell in the Gainsborough Chase at Sandown (won by Desert Orchid) and was beaten when
1981 Grand National 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 close friend and racing journalist and broadcaster Jonathan Powell. 1981 Grand National The 1981 Grand National 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