Princess Zahra Aga Khan, daughter of Shergar's billionaire owner, has revealed what she believes happened to Britain's most famous racehorse, who was stolen more than 40 years ago.
Shergar Killed Within 48 Hours
The princess says the iconic stallion was killed within 48 hours of his capture. Mystery has surrounded the theft of the legendary thoroughbred from Ballymany Stud farm in County Kildare, Ireland, in 1983. Princess Zahra said the £2 million ransom demanded could not be paid.
The IRA were the main suspects for the crime, which involved six armed men. Princess Zahra said her father, the spiritual leader of the Ismaili Muslims, would not pay the sum for both practical and moral reasons.
"We now know the horse was killed within two days (of being taken). They did so in an awful way," she said.
She explained her late father had not been able to pay up alone because the 1981 Derby winner was owned by a syndicate and they all needed to agree.
Princess Zahra, 55, told Telegraph Sport: "I remember Dad saying the horse was not insured against kidnapping - because who the hell was going to kidnap a horse? But because the horse was syndicated he couldn't get everyone to agree on what to do."
"He also argued that even if he could pay the ransom, he couldn't do so if (the money) was going to be used against human beings."
She also revealed that Shergar was killed two days after being taken, earlier than previously thought, and said "it was very unprofessionally done, and when they finally killed him they did so in an awful way".
She added: "The horse didn't deserve that. Even as a stallion he was the kindest horse in the world, he was so unfairly treated."
"And why? He was a national symbol of Irish breeding and racing. It's a long time ago, it was a very different world and people had different motivations back then."
Shergar's remains have never been found and no one has ever officially admitted responsibility for the theft. The Aga Khan died aged 88 in 2025.
