Zahra Aga Khan Revealed Shattering Details Regarding the Kidnapping and Death of Shergar

Forty-five years after the historic victory in the Epsom Derby, the daughter of the Aga Khan confirmed that the champion was killed just two days after being kidnapped

More than four decades after one of the most shocking and mysterious episodes in the history of global racing, Princess Zahra Aga Khan has revealed new and shattering details regarding the kidnapping and death of Shergar, the unforgettable winner of the 1981 Epsom Derby (G1).

Considered one of the finest European horses of the 20th century, the son of Great Nephew was immortalized by the extraordinary exhibition he put on at Epsom Downs, where he defeated his rivals by 10 lengths—a margin that to this day remains a record for England's most iconic race.

However, his brilliant racing career ultimately became just the prologue to a tragic story. On the night of February 8, 1983, six armed men stormed into Ballymany Stud in the Irish county of Kildare and abducted the stallion, who at the time was embarking on a highly promising stud career. Those responsible demanded a ransom of 2 million pounds sterling to return him alive.

For years, it was speculated that the Irish Republican Army (IRA) was behind the operation. What was never cleared up, however, was what exactly happened afterward. Shergar's remains were never found.

Now, speaking to Telegraph Sport, Zahra Aga Khan assured that the reality was even more cruel than had been supposed.

"Today we know that the horse was killed within two days of his kidnapping. They did it in a horrific way," she stated.

The breeder and owner explained that her father, the late Aga Khan IV, was devastated by the situation, but could not unilaterally decide to pay the ransom because Shergar belonged to an ownership syndicate.

"I remember my father repeating over and over that the horse was not insured against kidnapping, because who would ever imagine that someone would kidnap a horse? Furthermore, because he was a syndicated horse, he needed the agreement of all the partners to act," she recalled.

According to her account, there was also another fundamental concern: the eventual destination of the funds. "My father maintained that, even if the ransom could be paid, he could not do it if that money was going to be used against human beings," she explained.

The princess, who was just 12 years old when the event occurred, recalled the deep emotional impact the case caused: "There was a tremendous amount of disbelief. My father was completely devastated," she noted.

She also confirmed that the kidnappers did not act with professionalism and were incapable of properly handling a thoroughbred stallion: "The whole thing was handled in a very unprofessional manner, and when they finally killed him, they did it in a terrible way," she asserted.

Her words also reflected the special affection the family felt for the horse: "Shergar did not deserve that. Even as a stallion, he was the gentlest horse in the world. He was treated in a terribly unfair way," she expressed.

And she added a reflection that remains difficult to comprehend today for those who lived through those golden years of Irish racing: "Why do it? He was a national symbol of breeding and racing in Ireland. But it was another time, a very different world with different motivations."

Forty-five years after that unforgettable afternoon at Epsom, Shergar continues to hold a privileged place in the memory of global racing. His disappearance remains one of the great unsolved mysteries in sports history, though the statements by Zahra Aga Khan now provide a painful certainty regarding the tragic end of the family's champion.