"last furlong, and won by four lengths. As the horse approached the line, Michael O'Hehir, the commentator, informed viewers that ""He's winning it so easily; it's Shergar first and the rest are nowhere"". After the race Piggott told reporters that he had no doubt that Shergar would win as the horse never struggled in the race. He also said that Shergar was one of the best horses he had ever raced on. Following Shergar's Epsom Derby win, a group of US horse owners had offered $40 million to syndicate the horse. The Aga Khan turned down the offer, and instead"
"part of the BBC's ""Screen Two"" anthology series. The play was based on the few facts known, plus a backstory described as plausible by Hugh Hebert, reviewing for ""The Guardian"". The theft was also dramatised as a film ""Shergar"", directed by Dennis Lewiston and starring Ian Holm and Mickey Rourke. There have been two television documentaries, ""Who Kidnapped Shergar?"", broadcast on RTE in March 2004, and ""Searching for Shergar"", broadcast on BBC One in June 2018. Shergar Shergar (3 March 1978 – c. February 1983) was an Irish-bred, British-trained Thoroughbred racehorse. After a very successful season in 1981 he was"
"stand him at the Ballymany Stud in Ireland. He arrived in October 1981, and was paraded down the main street of Newbridge, County Kildare. Milton Toby, the writer on Thoroughbred racing and equine law, judges Shergar to have been ""a national hero in Ireland. ... one of the most recognizable sports personalities—horse or human—in Ireland."" In 1982—his only rutting season—Shergar covered 44 mares, from which 36 foals were produced: 17 colts and 19 fillies. Of these, three won Group races, and the most successful of his progeny was Authaal. When sold as a weanling (between six months and a year)"
"have been several claims of horse's skeletons being that of Shergar. Des Leadon, a specialist horse vet with knowledge of equine pathology, has assisted the Gardaí in several instances where a horse's remains may have been those of Shergar. He retains some strands of hair from Shergar's mane and tail which, he says, may contain sufficient DNA to confirm an identification. In 1999, in honour of Shergar, the Shergar Cup was inaugurated at Goodwood Racecourse, in a format that put a European team of jockeys against one from the Middle East. The race was later moved to Ascot Racecourse and"
"Cougar (horse) Cougar (1966–1989) was a Chilean Thoroughbred racehorse who also competed in the United States, where he was inducted into the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame. Cougar was noted for his late running style and versatility, winning major stakes races on both dirt and turf. After his relocation from Chile to the United States, he was usually referred to as ""Cougar II."" Cougar was sired by Tale of Two Cities, a son of Tehran, winner of the 1944 St. Leger Stakes and the Leading sire in Great Britain & Ireland. He was muscular with a long"
"Shergar, a three-year-old colt who had won the Epsom Derby by a record ten lengths and the Irish Derby by four. The only other three-year-old in the field was Madam Gay, a filly who had won the Prix de Diane. Shergar's biggest challenges were expected to come from the four-year-olds Master Willie who had finished second in the 1980 Epsom Derby before winning the International Stakes, Coronation Cup and Eclipse Stakes, Light Cavalry the winner of the 1980 St Leger Stakes and Pelerin, who had defeated Light Cavalry in the Hardwicke Stakes at Royal Ascot. The other runners were the"
"Elizabeth II Stakes in 2011, and in the final race of his unbeaten career, the Champion Stakes in 2012. The Shergar Cup is an annual horse racing event held at Ascot, usually during early August. The event is named in honour of Shergar, the horse that won the 1981 Epsom Derby, and was originally sponsored by Shergar's owner, the Aga Khan. The event is currently sponsored by Dubai Duty Free. The racecourse is also home to Royal Ascot Cricket Club, which was founded in 1883. The club's ground is situated in the middle of the racecourse. Ascot United F.C. is"
"and half a length ahead of Cracaval and Light Cavalry. Further details of the winner, Shergar 1981 King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes The 1981 King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes was a horse race held at Ascot Racecourse on Saturday 25 July 1981. It was the 31st running of the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes. The winner was Aga Khan's Shergar, a three-year-old bay colt trained at Newmarket, Suffolk by Michael Stoute and ridden by Walter Swinburn. Shergar's victory was the first in the race for his owner, trainer and jockey. The race attracted a"
"1981 King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes The 1981 King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes was a horse race held at Ascot Racecourse on Saturday 25 July 1981. It was the 31st running of the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes. The winner was Aga Khan's Shergar, a three-year-old bay colt trained at Newmarket, Suffolk by Michael Stoute and ridden by Walter Swinburn. Shergar's victory was the first in the race for his owner, trainer and jockey. The race attracted a field of seven runners, all of whom were trained in the United Kingdom. The favourite was"
"as a breeding stallion in Japan but had little success as a sire of winners. Authaal was a bay stallion with a broad white blaze and three white socks bred in Kentucky by the Swettenham Stud. He came from the first and only crop of foals sired by Shergar who won The Derby, Irish Derby and the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes in 1981. Shergar was kidnapped from his owner's stud farm in 1983 and never seen again: it is generally believed that he was killed by his captors who were members of the Provisional IRA. Authaal's dam"
"who they were, although one of the men spoke with a Northern Irish accent, and another seemed to be experienced with horses. Fitzgerald walked on to the next village and called his brother to pick him up. On arrival back at Ballymany, he rang Ghislain Drion to inform him of the theft, and urged him not to call the police because of the threats that been made. Drion attempted to reach the Aga Khan in Switzerland to inform him, then rang Stan Cosgrove, Shergar's vet, who was also a shareholder. Cosgrove contacted a retired Irish Army captain, Sean Berry, who"
"victim of a kidnapping but unlike Fanfreluche, Shergar was never found. Fanfreluche died in July 1999 of old age and was buried at Big Sink Farm in Midway, Kentucky. Fanfreluche (horse) Fanfreluche (April 9, 1967 – 1999) was a Canadian-bred Champion Thoroughbred racehorse. Fanfreluche was a bay mare bred in Canada. She was named by her French Canadian owner Jean-Louis Levesque for the title character of a popular children's television show on the French-language division of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation Successfully raced in Canada as a two-year-old, at age three Fanfreluche's performances in both Canada and the United States earned"
"the damsire of Shergar. Brantôme was also the great-grandsire of Exbury. Brantôme died on 3 July 1952 at the age of twenty-one. Brantôme (horse) Brantôme (1931–1952) was a French Thoroughbred racehorse and prominent sire. He was unbeaten at ages 2 and 3 and is ranked among the best French horses ever. Brantome was sired by Irish stallion Blandford (1919–1935) out of the mare Vitamine. He was owned by the Haras de Meautry stable of Édouard Alphonse de Rothschild. He was named for the city of Brantôme, Dordogne. As a two-year-old, Brantôme won the Prix Robert Papin, Grand Critérium and the"
"Black control of Ravelston Corporation which in turn controlled Argus Corporation. Introduced to the sport by E. P. Taylor, McDougald was a founding member of the Jockey Club of Canada. He and his wife owned a number of Thoroughbred racehorses, the most successful of which was Nijinsky's Secret. John A. McDougald John Angus ""Bud"" McDougald (March 14, 1908 – March 15, 1978) was a leading Canadian businessman and owner of Thoroughbred racehorses. Born in Toronto, Ontario, he was universally known by the nickname, ""Bud"". The son of a wealthy investment banker, after working as a stockbroker for Dominion Securities, in"
"that the stallion appears twice in the fourth generation of his pedigree. Voltaire (racehorse) Voltaire (1826 – 16 April 1848) was a British Thoroughbred racehorse. He won five of his six races, including the Doncaster Gold Cup in 1828. After retiring from racing he became a successful stallion, siring St. Leger winner Charles the Twelfth and Voltigeur, who won both The Derby and the St. Leger. He was bred and owned by Robert Stephenson, before being sold to William Vane, Marquess of Cleveland, whom he raced for as a three-year-old. Voltaire was a brown colt bred by Robert Stephenson and"
"Sean O'Callaghan, a former member of the IRA, published details of the theft and stated that it was an IRA operation to raise money for arms. He said that very soon after the theft, Shergar had panicked and damaged his leg, which led to him being killed by the gang. An investigation by ""The Sunday Telegraph"" concluded that the horse was shot four days after the theft. No arrests have ever been made in relation to the theft. Shergar's body has never been recovered or identified; it is likely that the body was buried near Aughnasheelin, near Ballinamore, County Leitrim."
"in November 1961 and was buried at Old Kenney Farm in Lexington. Royal Charger Royal Charger (1942–1961) was a British Thoroughbred that was successful as a racehorse, but much more important as a sire. Royal Charger was a chestnut horse sired by the important stallion Nearco. His dam, Sun Princess, was a descendant of the famous broodmare Mumtaz Mahal. He was owned by Sir John Jarvis and trained by his unrelated namesake Jack Jarvis at Newmarket, Suffolk. Royal Charger failed to win as a two-year-old in 1944, but showed some promise when twice finishing second. As a three-year-old, he finished"
"John A. McDougald John Angus ""Bud"" McDougald (March 14, 1908 – March 15, 1978) was a leading Canadian businessman and owner of Thoroughbred racehorses. Born in Toronto, Ontario, he was universally known by the nickname, ""Bud"". The son of a wealthy investment banker, after working as a stockbroker for Dominion Securities, in 1945 Bud McDougald teamed up with E. P. Taylor to establish Taylor, McDougald and Company Ltd. which would lead to his rise in the Taylor-controlled holding company, Argus Corporation. While McDougald would become involved in the sport of Thoroughbred racing, E. P. Taylor would devote much of his"
"Authaal Authaal (17 May 1983 – after 1999) was an American-bred Thoroughbred racehorse and sire. He was probably the best horse sired by the ill-fated Shergar, winning at the highest level in both Ireland and Australia. He was unraced as a two-year-old but won four of his five races as a three-year-old in 1986, culminating in an emphatic victory in the Irish St Leger. After failing to reproduce his best form in 1987, he was set to race in Australia where he recorded major wins in the Queen Elizabeth Stakes and Underwood Stakes. After his retirement from racing he stood"
"until it stopped to graze on a hedge, and then led him back to the stables. Shergar was unharmed during the event, and Stoute recalled ""it's very lucky nothing happened to him; there's a crossing there, and it's a difficult thing"". By the time the Irish Derby was run at the Curragh, on 27 June 1981, Swinburn was suspended following an infringement at Royal Ascot, so Piggott returned to ride Shergar. At the half-way point in the race, Shergar was in third place, but increased his pace to take the lead with three furlongs to go. He slowed during the"
"Hugh Grosvenor, 2nd Duke of Westminster Hugh Richard Arthur Grosvenor, 2nd Duke of Westminster, (familiarly ""Bendor"") (19 March 1879 – 19 July 1953) was a British landowner and one of the wealthiest men in the world. He was the son of Victor Grosvenor, Earl Grosvenor, son of the 1st Duke of Westminster, and Lady Sibell Lumley, the daughter of the 9th Earl of Scarborough. From his childhood and during his adult life he was known within family circles as ""Bendor"", which was also the name of the racehorse Bend Or owned by his grandfather the first Duke, which won The"
"Mumtaz Mahal (horse) Mumtaz Mahal (1921 1945) was a British Thoroughbred racehorse who the National Sporting Library's ""Thoroughbred Heritage"" website says was ""one of the most important broodmares of the 20th Century"". She was named after empress Mumtaz Mahal, wife of Mughal Empire ruler Shah Jahan of Taj Mahal fame. Bred by Lady Sykes at her Sledmere Stud in Driffield, East Riding of Yorkshire, Mumtaz Mahal was out of the mare Lady Josephine. Her sire was The Tetrarch, whom the ""Thoroughbred Heritage"" website also said was ""probably the greatest two-year-old of all time"", and that he was ""possibly the greatest"
"Haggin, the daughter of Ibrahim Ben Ali, a Turkish army officer. In 1846 Haggin married Eliza Jane Sanders; they had two sons and three daughters. In 1897 Haggin married Margaret (""Pearl"") Voorhies of Versailles, Kentucky. Haggin died September 12, 1914, at his Newport, Rhode Island, residence and was buried in Woodlawn Cemetery in New York. His grandson, James Ben Ali Haggin III, was a portrait painter and stage designer. James Ben Ali Haggin James Ben Ali Haggin (December 9, 1822 – September 13, 1914) was an American attorney, rancher, investor and a major owner/breeder in the sport of Thoroughbred horse"
"Heritage, he was moderately successful as a stallion. Sir Walter Sir Walter (foaled 1890 in California) was an outstanding American Thoroughbred racehorse known for his gritty determination which saw him win a number of races by a matter of inches. Sir Walter was bred by James Ben Ali Haggin at his Rancho Del Paso near Sacramento, California who had imported his sire, Midlothian, from Great Britain. His dam was La Scala, a daughter of the important Nevada/California sire, Joe Hooker. Sir Walter was purchased as a yearling by the Oneck Stable of Harry K. Knapp and his brother, Dr. Gideon"
"Sir Walter Sir Walter (foaled 1890 in California) was an outstanding American Thoroughbred racehorse known for his gritty determination which saw him win a number of races by a matter of inches. Sir Walter was bred by James Ben Ali Haggin at his Rancho Del Paso near Sacramento, California who had imported his sire, Midlothian, from Great Britain. His dam was La Scala, a daughter of the important Nevada/California sire, Joe Hooker. Sir Walter was purchased as a yearling by the Oneck Stable of Harry K. Knapp and his brother, Dr. Gideon Lee Knapp, who raced him throughout his career."
"as important as those of the heroes. The most famous horse from the epic is Aranjagaan, Jangar's mount. Aranjagaan was sired by a seven-year-old Heavenly Horse who came down to mate with a mortal mare by a lake. (There is intertextual conflict about this later in the epic, where Aranjagaan's father is described as an ordinary horse who was ridden by Jangar's father.) Aranjagaan's capabilities are described in epic style: ""He was red all over and had a body the size of a hill. He had a huge tail and ears. He had hooves the size of a sheep pen"
"Ben Ali (horse) Ben Ali (1883- c. 1903) was the winner of the 1886 Kentucky Derby and was named after his owner, James Ben Ali Haggin, a man of Turkish heritage who had struck gold in the California Gold Rush of 1849. Ben Ali was foaled in Kentucky and was a large bay colt sired by Virgil. His damsire was the great Lexington, a major foundation sire of American thoroughbreds. Ben Ali is best known for his Derby win and a wagering snafu that ushered in a bad era for the Kentucky Derby. In 1886, C. M. White purchased the"
"had little success as a sire of winners. Caligula was a ""striking"" grey horse bred in County Kildare Ireland by James J. Maher. As a yearling he was put up for auction and bought for 3,100 guineas by Seymour Edward Frederick Egerton, 6th Earl of Wilton. Lord Wilton sent the colt into training with Harvey Leader at Newmarket, Suffolk. He was sired by The Tetrarch an unbeaten horse who was regarded as one of the fastest two-year-old ever seen in Britain and Ireland, but whose career was ended by injury before he could race at three. The Tetrarch showed very"
"stood as a breeding stallion but proved to be completely infertile and was quickly retired from stud duties. He nevertheless enjoyed a long retirement at Kentucky Horse Park before dying at the age of 24. Cigar was foaled at Country Life Farm near Bel Air, Maryland. He was sired by a leading sire in North America, Palace Music (by The Minstrel). His dam, Solar Slew, was by the 1977 Triple Crown winner, Seattle Slew. Cigar was a half-brother to Corridora Slew (ARG) by Corridor Key (USA), Mulca, and several other lesser performed horses. Madeleine A. Paulson was the original owner"
"Cigar (horse) Cigar (April 18, 1990 – October 7, 2014), was an American Thoroughbred racehorse. Originally campaigned on turf tracks he showed useful but unremarkable form, but he emerged as an outstanding performer when switched to racing on dirt in 1995. In 1996, he became the first American racehorse racing against top-class competition to win 16 consecutive races since Triple Crown winner Citation did so in 1948 and 1950. Cigar retired as the leading money earner in Thoroughbred racing history and was later inducted into the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame. After his retirement from racing he"
"as an unnamed mare who produced the 2000 Guineas and St Leger winner Sir Tatton Sykes. In the United States he was never a popular stallion, but sired several successful runners including Blue Dick, Brown Dick and Doubloon, as well as several influential broodmares including the female-line ancestors of Tom Ochiltree, Aristides, Apollo, Stone Street, Peter McCue and Mata Hari. Margrave (horse) Margrave (1829–1852) was a British Thoroughbred racehorse and sire best known for winning the St Leger Stakes in 1832. In a racing career which lasted from June 1831 until April 1833 he ran ten times and won six"
"Lashkari (horse) Lashkari (April 3, 1981 – December 25, 1996) is a British-bred Thoroughbred racehorse, best known for winning the inaugural running of the Breeders' Cup Turf in 1984. Named for Lashkari in Helmand Province, Afghanistan, he was bred and raced by Aga Khan IV. Lashkari was out of the French mare Larannda – a daughter of Right Royal, who was a multiple Group One winner in England and France. Lashkari was sired by Mill Reef, whose Group One wins included The Derby and Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe and who was voted 1971's European Horse of the Year. A"
"determine because of the number of different currencies involved. Snurge was a chestnut horse with a narrow white blaze bred at the Kilcarn Stud near Navan in County Meath, Ireland. Before his racing career began he entered the ownership of the British businessman Martyn Arbib, who named the colt after a nickname he received while in school. Snurge was sired by the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes winner Ela-Mana-Mou out of the French-bred mare Finlandia. The horse was trained by Paul Cole at Whatcombe, near Wantage in Oxfordshire and ridden in all but two of his races by"