Shergar

For places with similar names, see Shergarh (disambiguation).

Shergar
Racing silks of Shergar, those of Aga Khan
Sire	Great Nephew
Grandsire	Honeyway
Dam	Sharmeen
Damsire	Val de Loir
Sex	Stallion
Foaled	3 March 1978^[1]
Country	Ireland
Colour	Bay
Breeder	HH Aga Khan IV
Owner	HH Aga Khan IV
Trainer	Michael Stoute
Record	8: 6-1-0
Major wins
Guardian Classic Trial (1981) Chester Vase (1981) Epsom Derby (1981) Irish Derby (1981) King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes (1981)
Awards
Timeform rating: 140
Honours
Shergar Cup on Ascot Racecourse

Shergar (3 March 1978 – c. February 1983) was an Irish-bred, British-trained racehorse, and winner of the 202nd Epsom Derby (1981) by ten lengths – the longest winning margin in the race's history.^[2]

Two years later, on 8 February 1983, he was stolen from the Ballymany Stud, near The Curragh in County Kildare, Ireland by masked gunmen^[3] and was never seen again. The incident has been the inspiration for several books, documentaries, and a film.

Background

Shergar was a bay horse with a broad white blaze bred by his owner the Aga Khan^[4]^[5] in County Kildare. Ireland. He was sired by Great Nephew, a British stallion whose wins included the Prix du Moulin and whose other progeny included Grundy, Mrs Penny and Tolmi.

Shergar was sent into training with Michael Stoute^[4] at Newmarket.

Racing career

1980: two-year-old season

His first run was a win in a field of 23 by just over two lengths in the Kris Plate, and he set a course record at Newbury. In his only other run – the William Hill Futurity Stakes (now the Racing Post Trophy) at Doncaster, won by Beldale Flutter – he was second, losing by the same two-and-a-half-length margin by which he had won his first race.

1981: three-year-old season

His 3-year-old debut race in 1981 was the Guardian Classic Trial at Sandown Park. Racing correspondent Richard Baerlein, after watching the colt win by 10 lengths, famously advised race-goers that "at 8-1, Shergar for the Derby, now is the time to bet like men."

After winning the Chester Vase by 12 lengths, Shergar started odds-on favourite at Epsom, ridden by 19-year-old jockey Walter Swinburn, also entering his first Derby. Swinburn recalled that early in the race, Shergar "found his own pace and lobbed along as the leaders went off at a million miles an hour, with me just putting my hands down on his withers and letting him travel at his own speed". Shergar pulled to the front early and went further clear, so far that John Matthias on runner-up Glint Of Gold thought he had won: "I told myself I'd achieved my life's ambition. Only then did I discover there was another horse on the horizon."

Shergar's next race was the Irish Derby, ridden by Lester Piggott. The apparent ease with which Shergar passed the rest of the runners, winning by 4 lengths, caused commentator Peter O'Sullevan to exclaim: "He's only in an exercise canter!" The horse became a national hero in Ireland.

Seeking to exploit Shergar's value at its peak, the Aga Khan sold 34 shares in the horse for £250,000 each, keeping six for himself, producing a valuation of £10 million, then a record for a stallion standing at stud in Europe. Among the buyers were bloodstock millionaire John Magnier and Shergar's vet Stan Cosgrove.

Shergar also won the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Ascot by four lengths. After that came his only failure as a three-year-old when the colt apparently failed to stay the extended fourteen furlongs and finished fourth in the St. Leger Stakes at Doncaster. Swinburn was sending out distress signals with two furlongs to go, and Shergar finished behind Cut Above, a horse he had beaten in the Irish Derby. Lester Piggott's view was that "he must have been over the top by then" but, whatever the explanation, Shergar's racing career was over. He had six wins for £436,000 in prize money.

Stud career

In October 1981 Shergar arrived in Newbridge. Greeted by the town band and the cheers of schoolchildren waving flags in the Aga Khan's green and red racing colours, he was paraded up the main street. The Aga Khan, whose decision to stand Shergar in Ireland defied those who had gloomily expected his removal to the United States, was there to greet his prize winner.

Shergar produced 35 foals from his single season at stud, the best turning out to be the 1986 Irish St. Leger winner Authaal, but only one had been born by the time of the theft. The syndicate was able to charge a stud fee of £50,000 - £80,000 for Shergar and if his offspring did well on the track that fee would have doubled. But, despite the thoroughbred’s value, the Ballymany Stud was poorly protected and the criminal gang had little difficulty in gaining access. The theft was the first of its kind in Ireland.

Theft

On 8 February 1983, one week before the start of Shergar's second season at stud - with up to 55 mares - a horse trailer arrived at the stud buildings at 8:30pm. Inside his house, Shergar's groom, James Fitzgerald thought he heard a car in the yard. He listened, heard nothing more, and forgot about it. At 8:40pm, there was a knock at the door. Fitzgerald's son Bernard answered it. The caller was dressed in a Garda (Police) uniform, with a balaclava. He asked for James Fitzgerald, and knocked Bernard to the floor as he turned away. James Fitzgerald came out of the sitting room to see his son on the floor. Three men pushed their way into the house, and held the family at gunpoint in the kitchen. According to Fitzgerald, the thieves were exceptionally calm and well organized and referred to each other as Cresswell.

The intruders signalled for him to put his coat on, and two of them took him outside. Fitzgerald was taken to the stud buildings and led the thieves to Shergar's stall. Fitzgerald was forced to help the thieves load Shergar onto a double horse box which had been drawn up to the stall. Fitzgerald said the gang numbered at least 6 men. Shergar was then towed away, and Fitzgerald was forced into another vehicle and driven around for some 3 hours. Fitzgerald was then thrown out of the car, 7 miles (11 km) from the stud, having been given a password the thieves would use in negotiations.

Investigation

The subsequent police investigation of the kidnapping has been called "a caricature of police bungling". Fitzgerald called the stud farm manager, who called Shergar's vet, Cosgrove. The vet then called a racing associate, Sean Berry, who in turn called Alan Dukes, the Irish Finance Minister and local TD for Newbridge. Dukes in turn gave them the contact number for Michael Noonan, the Minister for Justice. After eight hours had elapsed, someone called the Gardaí.

Their immediate investigation was hampered by a piece of planning by the gang, which had selected the same day as the biggest horse sales in the country, when horseboxes had passed along every road in Ireland. Leading the investigation into the theft was trilby-wearing Chief Superintendent Jim "Spud" Murphy, who was the subject of much media coverage. His detection techniques were unconventional, and a variety of clairvoyants, psychics and diviners were called in to help. During one interview, Mr Murphy told reporters: "A clue... that is what we haven't got."

Despite numerous reported sightings and rumours of secret negotiations in the days following the theft, there was little new information, and the press began to focus their attention on Mr Murphy. During one press conference, six photographers turned up wearing trilbies, identical to the police chief, after which Mr Murphy was given a much lower public profile.

While the police searched farms in the Republic of Ireland, the gang members set about seeking a ransom. Initially, they requested negotiations with three racing journalists, John Oaksey and Derek Thompson, both working for ITV, and Peter Campling, working for The Sun. The day after the theft, Thompson took a call at 1.15am from someone claiming to be one of the thieves. He was dispatched to negotiate in the full glare of the media circus that descended on Ireland. He managed to get the press off his tracks and spent his time in the house of racehorse trainer Jeremy Maxwell taking various calls from the criminals. All he got were demands for a payment of £40,000. On Thursday morning, he received a call telling him that the horse "had an accident" and was "dead".^[6]

Away from the TV cameras, the real thieves had got in touch with the Aga Khan's Paris office, not realising that he only had a minority share in the horse's ownership. On discovering that Shergar had multiple owners, the gang agreed to provide evidence that he was still alive. Cosgrove was deputised to collect the evidence, which was to be left at a hotel reception. However, a conspicuous Special Branch presence warned off the gang.

The criminals made a further call threatening to kill Shergar and the Aga Khan's negotiators. Eventually, however, a photograph of the horse's face next to a newspaper was sent to the police, but the owners were still not satisfied. What the gang did not know was that the syndicate had no intention of paying because they wanted to deter future thefts. Syndicate member Sir John Astor explained: "We were going to negotiate, but we were not going to pay." Had they paid the money for Shergar's release, they reasoned, every racehorse in the world would have become a target for theft.

Four days after the abduction, the thieves made their last call. The syndicate issued a statement blaming the Provisional IRA for the crime.

Thieves

The thieves have yet to be brought to justice. Several theories as to their identity and motives have been put forward.

IRA theory

The strongest suspect for the theft is the Provisional Irish Republican Army, whose motive was to raise money for arms.^[7] This theory was further supported by Sean O'Callaghan, the IRA supergrass in his book The Informer. He claims that the whole scheme was masterminded by Kevin Mallon and when Shergar panicked, so did the team, resulting in the horse being shot. He also claimed that Shergar was probably shot within hours of being snatched. The thieves, who had no prior experience with the nervous, highly-strung nature of a thoroughbred stallion, were unable to handle him.^[8] "One of the gang strongly suggested to me Shergar had been killed within hours. They couldn't cope with him, he went demented in the horsebox, injured his leg and they killed him." Discussing this allegation on the UK’s Channel 4, Fitzgerald said: "I assume he would have got very troublesome. And with them not knowing horses, they would maybe have got a bit scared of him."^[9] O'Callaghan said the IRA had demanded a £5 million ransom from the Aga Khan that was never met.

A pit was allegedly dug in the desolate mountains near Ballinamore, County Leitrim. The body was dragged into it and quickly covered over. No markers were left at the grave. The IRA have never officially claimed responsibility for stealing Shergar.

O’Callaghan alleged the gang was part of the IRA's special operations unit, formed with the aim of raising funds through crime. Shergar was to be its first victim, selected because of the wealth of his assumed owner, and the misapprehension that theft of a horse would cause less public outcry than kidnapping a human.

Whereabouts

Shergar's remains have never been found and the thieves have never been officially identified. The Sunday Telegraph reported that four days after Shergar was seized, the Army Council realized they would never collect a ransom. They decided to release the horse, but due to heavy surveillance on Mallon and under the eyes of the entire Irish public, the thieves felt it was impossible to move Shergar or free the horse near where he was held. Mallon thought the horse to be injured, and ordered his execution.^[10]

The two thieves, inexperienced in handling racehorses and with no prior knowledge of humane euthanization techniques, went to the remote stable where Shergar was being held and opened fire with a machine gun. A former IRA member involved described the scene to The Sunday Telegraph: "Shergar was machine gunned to death. There was blood everywhere and the horse even slipped on his own blood. There was lots of cussin' and swearin' because the horse wouldn't die. It was a very bloody death."

Few gained from the theft of Shergar - the thieves never got their money and most insurers never paid out to the syndicate, claiming that he could still have been alive after the policy had expired. Insurance policies against theft taken out with forerunners of the Aviva insurance group paid out £144,000, according to Aviva's online archive.^[11] According to a spokesman for Lloyd's of London, those members of the syndicate who had been insured for theft were paid $10.6 million in compensation.^[12]

Legacy

The Shergar Cup was inaugurated in his honour at Goodwood Racecourse in 1999.^[13] The race is now run at Ascot and was a contest between Europe riders and those from the rest of the world. Now the competition is between four teams, Great Britain and Ireland, Europe, The Rest Of The World and for the first time in 2012 an all women team.

The disappearance of Shergar was made into a Hollywood film, Shergar, starring Ian Holm and Mickey Rourke, and directed by Dennis Lewiston.^[13]

Pedigree

Pedigree of Shergar (GB), bay stallion 1978^[1]
Sire Great Nephew	Honeyway	Fairway	Phalaris
		Fairway	Scapa Flow
		Honey Buzzard	Papyrus
		Honey Buzzard	Lady Peregrine
	Sybil's Niece	Admiral's Walk	Hyperion
		Admiral's Walk	Tabaris
		Sybil's Sister	Nearco
		Sybil's Sister	Sister Sarah
Dam Sharmeen	Val de Loir	Vieux Manoir	Brantôme
		Vieux Manoir	Vielle Maison
		Vali	Sunny Boy
		Vali	Her Slipper
	Nasreen	Charlottesville	Prince Chevalier
		Charlottesville	Noorani
		Ginetta	Tulyar
		Ginetta	Diableretta (Family 9-c)^[14]

References

1 2 "Shergar Pedigree". equineline.com. 2012-05-08. Retrieved 2012-07-19.
↑ This victory earned him a spot in The Observer newspaper's 100 Most Memorable Sporting Moments of the Twentieth Century ("100 most memorable sporting moments". The Observer. 2011-02-11. Retrieved 2012-07-19. )
↑ "1983: Police hunt Shergar's kidnappers". BBC News. 1950-02-09. Retrieved 2012-07-19.
1 2 "The truth about Shergar racehorse kidnapping - Telegraph". Web.archive.org. 2008-02-03. Archived from the original on February 3, 2008. Retrieved 2016-04-28. CS1 maint: Unfit url (link)
↑ Griann NÃ GhúilÃn. "Ireland's OWN: History". Web.archive.org. Archived from the original on October 18, 2003. Retrieved 2016-04-28. CS1 maint: Unfit url (link)
↑ Shergar: The day the wonder horse was stolen BBC News 8 February 2013
↑ "Detailed analysis of most famous IRA abductions: ThePost.ie". Web.archive.org. 2004-06-13. Archived from the original on December 29, 2004. Retrieved 2016-04-28. CS1 maint: Unfit url (link)
↑ O'Callaghan, Sean (1998). The Informer. UK: Corgi Books. p.194
↑ "New light on Shergar mystery - Horseracing". The Age. 14 March 2004. Retrieved 2012-07-19.
↑ A. Alderson, "The truth about Shergar racehorse kidnapping,"The Sunday Telegraph, 28 Jan 2009
↑ "Aviva plc : Heritage : Did you know? : Landmark events". Web.archive.org. Archived from the original on October 23, 2008. Retrieved 2016-04-28. CS1 maint: Unfit url (link)
↑ Thoroughbred Times, 2008
1 2 O'Neill, Dab (5 February 2013). "Shergar's gone... but not forgotten". South Wales Echo. Retrieved 24 June 2013.
↑ "Crab Mare - Family 9-c". Bloodlines.net. Retrieved 2012-07-19.

Sources

Howard, Paul. (2004) Hostage: Notorious Irish Kidnappings. O'Brien Press. ISBN 978-0862787691
O'Callaghan, Sean. (1998) The Informer. Bantam. ISBN 978-0593042854
Thoroughbred Times, Vol. 24, No. 25, 21 June 2008.

External links

Shergar History

Epsom Derby winners

1780 Diomed 1781 Young Eclipse 1782 Assassin 1783 Saltram 1784 Serjeant 1785 Aimwell 1786 Noble 1787 Sir Peter Teazle 1788 Sir Thomas 1789 Skyscraper 1790 Rhadamanthus 1791 Eager 1792 John Bull 1793 Waxy 1794 Daedalus 1795 Spread Eagle 1796 Didelot 1797 colt by Fidget 1798 Sir Harry 1799 Archduke 1800 Champion 1801 Eleanor ♥ 1802 Tyrant 1803 Ditto 1804 Hannibal 1805 Cardinal Beaufort 1806 Paris 1807 Election 1808 Pan 1809 Pope 1810 Whalebone 1811 Phantom 1812 Octavius 1813 Smolensko 1814 Blucher 1815 Whisker 1816 Prince Leopold 1817 Azor 1818 Sam 1819 Tiresias 1820 Sailor 1821 Gustavus 1822 Moses 1823 Emilius 1824 Cedric 1825 Middleton 1826 Lap-dog 1827 Mameluke 1828 Cadland 1829 Frederick 1830 Priam 1831 Spaniel 1832 St. Giles 1833 Dangerous 1834 Plenipotentiary 1835 Mundig 1836 Bay Middleton 1837 Phosphorus 1838 Amato 1839 Bloomsbury 1840 Little Wonder 1841 Coronation 1842 Attila 1843 Cotherstone 1844 Orlando 1845 The Merry Monarch 1846 Pyrrhus The First 1847 Cossack 1848 Surplice 1849 The Flying Dutchman 1850 Voltigeur 1851 Teddington 1852 Daniel O'Rourke 1853 West Australian ₩ 1854 Andover 1855 Wild Dayrell 1856 Ellington 1857 Blink Bonny ♥ 1858 Beadsman 1859 Musjid 1860 Thormanby 1861 Kettledrum 1862 Caractacus 1863 Macaroni 1864 Blair Athol 1865 Gladiateur ₩ 1866 Lord Lyon ₩ 1867 Hermit 1868 Blue Gown 1869 Pretender 1870 Kingcraft 1871 Favonius 1872 Cremorne 1873 Doncaster 1874 George Frederick 1875 Galopin 1876 Kisber 1877 Silvio 1878 Sefton 1879 Sir Bevys 1880 Bend Or 1881 Iroquois 1882 Shotover ♥ 1883 St. Blaise 1884 St. Gatien Harvester 1885 Melton 1886 Ormonde ₩ 1887 Merry Hampton 1888 Ayrshire 1889 Donovan 1890 Sainfoin 1891 Common ₩ 1892 Sir Hugo 1893 Isinglass ₩ 1894 Ladas 1895 Sir Visto 1896 Persimmon 1897 Galtee More ₩ 1898 Jeddah 1899 Flying Fox ₩ 1900 Diamond Jubilee ₩ 1901 Volodyovski 1902 Ard Patrick 1903 Rock Sand ₩ 1904 St. Amant 1905 Cicero 1906 Spearmint 1907 Orby 1908 Signorinetta ♥ 1909 Minoru 1910 Lemberg 1911 Sunstar 1912 Tagalie ♥ 1913 Aboyeur 1914 Durbar 1915 Pommern ₩ 1916 Fifinella ♥ 1917 Gay Crusader ₩ 1918 Gainsborough ₩ 1919 Grand Parade 1920 Spion Kop 1921 Humorist 1922 Captain Cuttle 1923 Papyrus 1924 Sansovino 1925 Manna 1926 Coronach 1927 Call Boy 1928 Felstead 1929 Trigo 1930 Blenheim 1931 Cameronian 1932 April the Fifth 1933 Hyperion 1934 Windsor Lad 1935 Bahram ₩ 1936 Mahmoud 1937 Mid-day Sun 1938 Bois Roussel 1939 Blue Peter 1940 Pont l'Eveque 1941 Owen Tudor 1942 Watling Street 1943 Straight Deal 1944 Ocean Swell 1945 Dante 1946 Airborne 1947 Pearl Diver 1948 My Love 1949 Nimbus 1950 Galcador 1951 Arctic Prince 1952 Tulyar 1953 Pinza 1954 Never Say Die 1955 Phil Drake 1956 Lavandin 1957 Crepello 1958 Hard Ridden 1959 Parthia 1960 St Paddy 1961 Psidium 1962 Larkspur 1963 Relko 1964 Santa Claus 1965 Sea Bird 1966 Charlottown 1967 Royal Palace 1968 Sir Ivor 1969 Blakeney 1970 Nijinsky ₩ 1971 Mill Reef 1972 Roberto 1973 Morston 1974 Snow Knight 1975 Grundy 1976 Empery 1977 The Minstrel 1978 Shirley Heights 1979 Troy 1980 Henbit 1981 Shergar 1982 Golden Fleece 1983 Teenoso 1984 Secreto 1985 Slip Anchor 1986 Shahrastani 1987 Reference Point 1988 Kahyasi 1989 Nashwan 1990 Quest for Fame 1991 Generous 1992 Dr Devious 1993 Commander in Chief 1994 Erhaab 1995 Lammtarra 1996 Shaamit 1997 Benny the Dip 1998 High-Rise 1999 Oath 2000 Sinndar 2001 Galileo 2002 High Chaparral 2003 Kris Kin 2004 North Light 2005 Motivator 2006 Sir Percy 2007 Authorized 2008 New Approach 2009 Sea the Stars 2010 Workforce 2011 Pour Moi 2012 Camelot 2013 Ruler of the World 2014 Australia 2015 Golden Horn 2016 Harzand

Legend - ₩ = Triple Crown Winners, ♥ = Filly

King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes winners

1951 Supreme Court 1952 Tulyar 1953 Pinza 1954 Aureole 1955 Vimy 1956 Ribot 1957 Montaval 1958 Ballymoss 1959 Alcide 1960 Aggressor 1961 Right Royal 1962 Match 1963 Ragusa 1964 Nasram 1965 Meadow Court 1966 Aunt Edith ♥ 1967 Busted 1968 Royal Palace 1969 Park Top ♥ 1970 Nijinsky 1971 Mill Reef 1972 Brigadier Gerard 1973 Dahlia ♥ 1974 Dahlia ♥ 1975 Grundy 1976 Pawneese 1977 The Minstrel 1978 Ile de Bourbon 1979 Troy 1980 Ela-Mana-Mou 1981 Shergar 1982 Kalaglow 1983 Time Charter ♥ 1984 Teenoso 1985 Petoski 1986 Dancing Brave 1987 Reference Point 1988 Mtoto 1989 Nashwan 1990 Belmez 1991 Generous 1992 St Jovite 1993 Opera House 1994 King's Theatre 1995 Lammtarra 1996 Pentire 1997 Swain 1998 Swain 1999 Daylami 2000 Montjeu 2001 Galileo 2002 Golan 2003 Alamshar 2004 Doyen 2005 Azamour 2006 Hurricane Run 2007 Dylan Thomas 2008 Duke of Marmalade 2009 Conduit 2010 Harbinger 2011 Nathaniel 2012 Danedream ♥ 2013 Novellist 2014 Taghrooda ♥ 2015 Postponed 2016 Highland Reel

Legend - ♥ = Filly

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