The daughter of the Aga Khan, the co-owner of stolen racehorse Shergar, has revealed the brilliant colt was killed “in an awful way” and a ransom was never paid to avoid the prospect of the money being used to fund terrorism.
It is 45 years since the bay with a white blaze secured his position among the 20th century greats by winning the Derby at Epsom by a staggering 10 lengths, a margin which to this day stands as a record for a race first run in 1780.
But Shergar’s brilliant career on the racecourse was only half of the story, as on the night of February 8th, 1983, intruders broke into the Aga Khan’s Ballymany Stud in Co Kildare and kidnapped the horse.
At the time, the Provisional IRA were the main suspects behind the kidnapping, which involved six armed men, and it is generally accepted that his abductors were ill-equipped to control a thoroughbred stallion, and that he was killed shortly afterwards. His remains have never been found.
Princess Zahra Aga Khan has now described how a ransom of £2 million that was demanded for Shergar’s safe return was not paid out of fear the money would be “used against human beings” and revealed the horse had not been insured against kidnap.
She told Telegraph Sport: “We now know the horse was killed within two days (of being taken). They did so in an awful way.”
She explained that her late father, the the 49th imam and spiritual leader of the Ismaili Muslims, had not been able to pay the ransom alone because Shergar was owned by a syndicate and they all needed to agree.
Princess Zahra, who was 12 at the time, said: “Dad was so upset, there was great disbelief.
“People didn’t understand the horse was syndicated and the ransom demand was only for 10 per cent of his stud value.
“I remember Dad saying over and over, not only was the horse not insured against kidnapping – because who the hell was going to think of kidnapping a horse? – but because the horse was syndicated he couldn’t get everyone to agree on what to do.
“He also argued that even if he could pay the ransom, he couldn’t do so if (the money) was going to be used against human beings.”
[ I’m not saying they’re lying, but why would it take 312 fellas to lower Shergar into the ground? Opens in new window ]
She also revealed that Shergar was killed two days after being taken, earlier than previously thought, and said “it was very unprofessionally done, and when they finally killed him they did so in an awful way.”
She added: “The horse didn’t deserve that. Even as a stallion he was the kindest horse in the world, he was so unfairly treated.
“And why? He was a national symbol of Irish breeding and racing.
“It’s a long time ago, it was a very different world and people had different motivations back then.”
Her father died last year at the age of 88. - PA
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