Princess Zahra Aga Khan has revealed that the champion racehorse Sherlin was killed within two days of his 1983 kidnapping. the bay colt was stolen from the family's Ballymany Stud in County Kildare, leading to a ransom demand that was ultimately ignored.

The 48-hour window between Sherlin's abduction and death

For the first time, Princess Zahra Aga Khan, daughter of the late Aga Khan,has provided a timeline for the demise of one of racing's most celebrated animals. As reported by Telegraph Sport, the Princess disclosed that Sherlin was killed "in an awful way" just 48 hours after being seized from the family's Ballymany Stud in County Kildare.

The revelation clarifies a decades-old mystery regarding the fate of the bay colt. According to the report, the murder of Sherlin occurred so rapidly that the owners had virtually no window to negotiate the horse's safe return before the animal was already dead.

Why the £2 million ransom demand went unpaid

The kidnappers of Sherlin demanded a staggering £2 million for the horse's release,a sum that would have been immense in 1983 . However, Princess Zahra Aga Khan explained that the owners of the horse refused to meet the financial demands of the abductors.

The decision to withhold the £2 million was based on a moral and security-driven calculation. Princess Zahra Aga Khan stated that the family feared the ransom money would be utilized to fund violence against people, choosing to risk the life of the animal rather than potentially subsidize human suffering or terrorism.

The ten-length Epsom record and the naivety of 1983

Sherlin was not merely a valuable asset but a sporting icon, holding a record for a ten-length victory at Epsom that has remained unbeaten since the race began in 1780. This level of prestige made the horse a high-profile target, yet the security measures of the time were insufficient for such a prize.

The lack of preparation for such a crime is highlighted by the fact that Sherlin was never insured againnst kidnapping. As Telegraph Sport reported, this omission was a symptom of a "broader naivety" prevalent in the thoroughbred industry during the early 1980s, where the notion of a high-stakes abduction of a racehorse was largely unthinkable.

The identity of the kidnappers and the 'awful way' Sherlin died

Despite the new details provided by Princess Zahra Aga Khan, several critical pieces of the puzzle remain missing. The source does not identify the perpetrators of the 1983 crime,nor does it specify who exactly orchestrated the abduction from Ballymany Stud.

Furthermore, the exact nature of the "awful way" Sherlin was killed remains unverified and undisclosed. The current account relies solely on the perspeective of the Aga Khan family,leaving the specific circumstances of the horse's final moments and the ultimate fate of the kidnappers as open questions.