Princess Zahra Aga Khan has shared new details regarding the 1983 abduction of the champion horse Shergar from County Kildare. She revealed that the record-breaking Derby winner was killed shortly after his capture and that a £2 million ransom was refused to avoid funding violence.

The £2 million ransom and the syndicate deadlock

According to the report, Princess Zahra Aga Khan disclosed that a £2 million ransom was demanded for the safe return of Shergar. The payment was never made, partly because the Aga Khan feared the funds would be "used against human beings." Furthermore, the horse was owned by a syndicate, meaning the Aga Khan could not unilaterally decide to pay without the agreement of all partners.

As the report notes, the horse was not insured against kidnapping, a risk the owners had not anticipated. princess Zahra Aga Khan recalls her father's disbelief at the situation, noting that the ransom demand represented only 10 per cent of the animal's stud value at the time.

A two-day window before Shergar's 'awful' death

A significant new detail provided by Princess Zahra Aga Khan is that Shergar was killed just two days after his abduction on February 8, 1983. This timeline is shorter than previously believed. She described the killing as being carried out "in an awful way," attributing the tragedy to the kidnappers' lack of professional experience in handling a thoroughbred stallion.

Despite the passage of 45 years, the remains of Shergar have never been recovered. This leaves a lingering void in one of the most infamous crimes in equestrian history, as the exact location of the disposal remains a mystery.

The IRA's role in the Ballymany Stud raid

The kidnapping took place at the Aga Khan's Ballymany Stud in County Kildare, where six armed men broke in and seized the horse. Investigators have long believed the perpetrators were members of the IRA.. Along with Shergar, the kidnappers took the horse's groom, John Fitzgerald, though Fitzgerald was released shortly after the initial raid.

This event mirrored the volatile political climate of the early 1980s in Ireland, where the IRA frequently targeted high-profile assets to fund their operations.. The refusal to pay the ransom was a strategic choice by the Aga Khan, who believed that paying would only make his other horses targets for future kidnappings.

From Walter Swinburn's 10-length victory to the Aga Khan's passing

Shergar remains a legend in racing history for his 1981 Epsom Derby win, where he secured victory by 10 lengths—a record that still stands today. He was ridden to glory by jockey Walter Swinburn, who passed away in 2016 following an accidental fall from a window in Belgravia, London.

The story has now reached a final chapter of sorts with the death of the Aga Khan in February of last year in Lisbon, Portugal. princess Zahra Aga Khan's decision to speak now provides a rare glimpse into the private grief and moral dilemmas faced by her family during the crisis. However, it remains unclear if any former IRA members will ever come forward to reveal the horse's final resting place.