One of racing’s greatest owner-breeders, the Aga Khan, has died at the age of 88, it was announced on Tuesday night.
His famous red and green silks were synonymous with equine brilliance and were carried to Derby glory at Epsom on five occasions by Shergar (1981), Shahrastani (1986), Kahyasi (1988), Sinndar (2000) and, most recently, Harzand (2016).
He was responsible for many great champions, having inherited his family’s bloodstock empire in 1960, but his most famous horse was undoubtedly Shergar, who won the 1981 Derby in the hands of 19-year-old Walter Swinburn by a record-breaking 10 lengths that still stands as a benchmark for an iconic race first run in 1780.
Trained by Sir Michael Stoute, in Newmarket, the colt also won the Irish Derby – when Lester Piggott was in the saddle – and the King George VI And Queen Elizabeth Stakes in the same season.
Shergar was retired to stud at Ballymany in County Kildare with a syndicated value of £10 million, but the story went on to run much deeper than that when the big bay with the white blaze was kidnapped by masked intruders a foggy February evening in 1983.
The Aga Khan and the other co-owners refused to pay a ransom, days before Shergar was due to begin his second year as a stallion.
Shergar was never seen again and while many theories abound it is generally accepted the IRA were the culprits, that his abductors were ill-equipped to control a thoroughbred stallion and that he was killed shortly afterwards.
His remains have never been found. This Saturday mark the 42nd anniversary of when he was snatched.
In addition to his Epsom heroes, the Aga Khan was responsible for seven French Derby winners: Top Ville (1979), Darshaan (1984), Mouktar (1985), Natroun (1987), Dalakhani (2003), Darsi (2006) and Vadeni (2022)
And his four Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe victors were Akiyda (1982), Sinndar (2000), Dalakhani (2003) and Zarkava (2008).
Racing fans will no doubt be divided over exactly who was his greatest horse, although few would question that the homebred Zarkava was his most outstanding filly.
She was sired by Group Two winner Zamindar and was of the mare, Zarkasha, herself sired by Kahyasi.
Zarkava was blessed with deep reserves of speed and stamina and ended her flawless career unbeaten in seven starts.
She scooped the Prix Marcel Boussac, Prix de la Grotte, Poule d'Essai des Pouliches, Prix de Diane and Prix Vermeille before her final flourish at Longchamp.
