SHERGAR KILLED AFTER 1983 KIDNAPPING, SAYS AGA KHAN'S DAUGHTER

Princess Zahra Aga Khan has disclosed that Shergar, the champion racehorse kidnapped in 1983, was killed "in an awful way" following his abduction. The daughter of the Aga Khan made the revelation public for the first time, providing an account of the colt's fate decades after his disappearance. No ransom was paid to those who took the horse, according to her statement. The decision not to pay was made to prevent money reaching the wrong hands.

Shergar was one of the most celebrated racehorses of his era, having won the Epsom Derby and multiple other major races. The colt vanished from the Ballymany Stud in County Kildare, Ireland, on 8 February 1983 in circumstances that remained unresolved for four decades. The kidnapping attracted international attention and spawned numerous theories about the horse's whereabouts and the identity of those responsible. The case remained one of sport's most enduring mysteries until Princess Zahra's account.

The disclosure brings an official account of Shergar's death from the horse's owner's family for the first time. Previous investigations into the kidnapping never produced conclusive evidence of what occurred. Princess Zahra's statement provides closure on a case that captivated the public imagination for generations.