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I read an article in a racing magazine for which I previously was a voluntary writer for – about Shergar. And it made me wonder, was he really that good? Or is it the story of the kidnapping which created the legacy?
Totally agree – he was a hero and a legend by the time he retired and his fame is mostly why the kidnapping was so shocking. He had captured the public imagination with his dominance on the track.
Yes……………not just the wins but the style of his wins……..visually very impressive.
Colin
Shergar was around before my time, or at least when I still quite young but is a horse who I wish I could have seen racing. Always found the shergar story very intriguing too.
Shergar is a great – no doubt.
Did the horsemen of the time of Shergar’s Derby win compare him to Pegasus, the Japanese winged horse? Is this true?
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Great horses since time immemorial have been compared to Pegasus (who is from Greek mythology, by the way, not Japanese. You may be getting confused with the Japanese-owned Fusaichi Pegasus, but even he was foaled in the USA
).Shergar was a top-class racehorse: as has already been said, the style of his wins was breathtaking. He simply hacked all over his rivals. Glint Of Gold was admittedly unsuited by Epsom, and showed better form subsequently, but he would never have got anywhere near Shergar at his best.
I backed Shergar at 4/1 for the Derby. I thought he was the nearest thing to a certainty that has ever lined up for a Derby.
I recall on the morning of the race he was still available at evens. To me, it was akin to buying money. He had won his trials at Sandown and Chester with the minimum of fuss and the opposition (including Glint of Gold, Shotgun and *Cut Above) didn’t appear to offer any threat at all – and so it proved. It was reported on the news that a punter had walked into a London bookmakers’ prior to the race with forty grand in a paper bag and requested the lot be put on Shergar at evens. He was accommodated.
His victory, though facile, flattered him somewhat, as the time of the race was very slow in comparison to previous years. That said, the late Robert Sangster was gushing in his praise, saying that Shergar (in his opinion) was the best Derby winner since the war. I think he got carried away in the moment. Everyone with any sense knows that accolade goes to the imperious Sea Bird.
Lester Piggott rode Shergar to win the Irish Derby (he’d previously ridden him as a 2 year old) which he won well, though not by the same margin. Walter Swinburn then renewed their partnership at Asot for the King George & Queen Elizabeth Diamond Stakes, seeing off the older horses by four lengths. His victory, though decisive, was less emphatic or impressive, I thought.
His defeat (finishing fourth) in the St. Leger – beaten by Derby rivals, Cut Above and Glint Of Gold was looked upon at the time as a shock – though in retrospect, many judges think he was past his best or simply didn’t stay the extra two furlongs.
In conclusion, I happen to think he was a very good horse over a mile and a half, He had a fantastic action. However, I think he was a horse that would gallop the opposiition into submission and would have struggled to win against the likes of Nijinsky, Mill Reef, Dancing Brave… and of course, the mighty Sea Bird.
Therefore, I rate him just below the very best.Gambling Only Pays When You're Winning
Himself – Walter Swinburn rode Shergar in the Derby not Lester.
Oops my mistake didn’t notice the Irish before Derby.
Won’t let me delete post so I offer my apologies instead.
Himself – Walter Swinburn rode Shergar in the Derby not Lester.
Oops my mistake didn’t notice the Irish before Derby.
Won’t let me delete post so I offer my apologies instead.
No, no..no apologies necessary, Flash. It was my mistake. I had initially ommitted the word Irish before Derby but subseqeuntly rectified the mistake before your reply. I did know Walter rode him at Epsom.
Gambling Only Pays When You're Winning
Himself – Walter Swinburn rode Shergar in the Derby not Lester.
Oops my mistake didn’t notice the Irish before Derby.
Won’t let me delete post so I offer my apologies instead.
No, no..no apologies necessary, Flash. It was my mistake. I had initially ommitted the word Irish before Derby but subseqeuntly rectified the mistake before your reply. I did know Walter rode him at Epsom.
Thats cheating you made me look a fool for no reason, I knew it was impossible for me to be wrong about something, it just never happens.
Timeform declared him at the end of the year to be undoubted ‘European Horse of the Year’, ‘a great horse’ (not said lightly), putting in the best post-war Derby performance (not the same as the best post-war Derby winner), and being inferior in the middle-distance category only to Ribot, Sea Bird and Mill Reef.
Not quite calling him Pegasus (Japanese or otherwise!), but high praise still.
Apart from Sea Bird, he was the only horse that you could say was a certainty before his Derby run.
(That doesn’t mean he was better than Nijinsky or Mill Reef though).
I backed Shergar at 4/1 for the Derby. I thought he was the nearest thing to a certainty that has ever lined up for a Derby.
I recall on the morning of the race he was still available at evens. To me, it was akin to buying money. He had won his trials at Sandown and Chester with the minimum of fuss and the opposition (including Glint of Gold, Shotgun and *Cut Above) didn’t appear to offer any threat at all – and so it proved. It was reported on the news that a punter had walked into a London bookmakers’ prior to the race with forty grand in a paper bag and requested the lot be put on Shergar at evens. He was accommodated.
I backed him at 25s after Newbury and 8s after Sandown, so I have particularly fond memories of Shergar who was in fact the last winner I backed.
The story about the cash punter is basically true except that there were two of them who went into the betting shop together and each had forty grand on at evens. Off-course betting tax at the time was 8% and they each suffered a deduction of £6400. If they’d taken the train to Epsom at a cost of about a fiver they’d have paid £3200 tax each at the racecourse rate of 4%.
Apart from Sea Bird, he was the only horse that you could say was a certainty before his Derby run.
(That doesn’t mean he was better than Nijinsky or Mill Reef though).
Shergar was alovely horse but was he as good as Mill Reef or Nijinsky…………Tough question to answer as they were all exceptionally good….If you asked Lester which of his Derby Winners ws the best he never hesiatetes in naming Sir Ivor……I think I am correct in saying the all strated fav and were all regarded by many as a bit of a certainty but Sea Bird II will probaly always be regarded as the greatest Deby winner of all time……..would he have beaten Shergar and co? would need to have been everything they dais he was and more……….unlike the Jumps where if you try and compare Denman and Arkle you get 99.99999% saying Arkle but it would be hard to say which Derby winner was the best……….personally I wouldn’t argue if some one said it was Troy……then an hour later said it was Nijinsky………..VV complicated question to even begin to answer
All
On of the most breathtaking performances in the Derby was Slip Anchor. The reason I say that is that the performance is often overlooked. For those too young to have seen the race, I suggest you have a butchers on YouTube. I’m not taking anything away from the Usual Suspects, Shergar and the sublime Sea Bird, but the great Stevie Cauthen judging the pace as only he could do is beautiful to watch.
Llanrumneyboy
I recall on the morning of the race he was still available at evens. To me, it was akin to buying money. He had won his trials at Sandown and Chester with the minimum of fuss and the opposition (including Glint of Gold, Shotgun and *Cut Above) didn’t appear to offer any threat at all – and so it proved.
IIRC the late Richard Baerlein won a large lump in the Derby and named his house Shergar in honour.
Glint of Gold (an admirable horse who always seemed to finish second in Group 1s) was my bet due to a clever ‘system’ I’d devised that involved betting the Mellon horses blind
).
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