Shergar was born in 1978 and is notably known for his win at the Epsom Derby in 1981, which was the 202nd edition. He did this in style too, racing home by a massive 10 lengths. This is the largest margin ever achieved by a runner in this race. He belonged to the Aga Khan, who has always been an avid fan and investor of racing. When the time was right, Shergar was sent to Newmarket where he would train a under the watchful eye of Michael Stoute, credited with making the horse a winner, and a quick one at that.
Career
Shergar’s very first run was in 1980, where he trounced others at Kris Plate. His real forays into racing happened the following year at 3 years old. At the Guardian Classic Trial, he managed to win by a massive ten lengths, which sent bookies into a frenzy and exhilarated fans. It was a feat he would go on to replicate and was always revered for his speed, agility and capacity to put crowds on their feet. After the Guardian Classic, he moved on pretty quickly, getting ready for the Irish Derby. His jockey at this point was Lester Piggott, who was known to be able to get the best out of horses. As predicted, Shergar won the race, cruising home at 4 lengths. The runner-up was far from close, and this cemented Shergar’s legacy as a fast horse of monumental proportions. After 6 wins, one an Epsom Derby, Shergar was officially retired, having collected£436,000 in prize money. He quickly became an established stud, valued at £10 million.
In 1983, Shergar was kidnapped from his stud home by men dressed as the Irish police and hauled away. The police got involved in the investigation but as the days went, the trail got colder. The case remains cold to date but the story attracts scandalous conspiracy theories.