The No.18 number cloth carried by Shergar when winning the Derby at Epsom in 1981, mounted in a framed montage commemorating the legendary, ill-fated champion thoroughbred, the number cloth flanked by two colour photographs, each 20 by 30cm., one of him passing the winning post, the other showing him and jockey Walter Swinburn entering the winner's enclosure, with additional cover page from the original June 3rd 1981 racecard and four further pages featuring map of the racecourse and full listing of the runners, similarly mounted within the collage, together with a silvered plaque engraved The number cloth worn by Shergar when winning the 1981 Epsom Derby, overall size 62 by 94.5cm.; Note: the entire number cloth, which has been signed by Walter Swinburn, is contained underneath the mount, though for the purposes of the montage only the figure 18 is left visible. A photograph of the saddle cloth pre-framing is provided in the catalogue entry; sold with three official racecards for the 1981 Derby (4) Provenance:Sold at an after dinner charity auction organised by the Racehorse Owners’ Association and held at the Dorchester Hotel, London, in 1981. Then offered at Graham Budd Auctions 20th November 2007 as lot 208. Bought by the present vendor. Considered one of the greatest-ever Derby winners, HH The Aga Khan's Shergar won this the 202nd running by a record distance of ten lengths, ridden by 19-year-old Walter Swinburn and trained by Michael Stoute. Retired for stallion duties, Shergar became front page news in February 1983 when an IRA-linked armed gang kidnapped him from the Aga Khan's Irish stud. It later transpired that tragically, the horse injured himself and was shot four days after the theft. His body has never been found.
£5,000 - £7,000
The No.18 number cloth carried by Shergar when winning the Derby at Epsom in 1981, mounted in a framed montage commemorating the legendary, ill-fated champion thoroughbred, the number cloth flanked by two colour photographs, each 20 by 30cm., one of him passing the winning post, the other showing him and jockey Walter Swinburn entering the winner's enclosure, with additional cover page from the original June 3rd 1981 racecard and four further pages featuring map of the racecourse and full listing of the runners, similarly mounted within the collage, together with a silvered plaque engraved The number cloth worn by Shergar when winning the 1981 Epsom Derby, overall size 62 by 94.5cm.; Note: the entire number cloth, which has been signed by Walter Swinburn, is contained underneath the mount, though for the purposes of the montage only the figure 18 is left visible. A photograph of the saddle cloth pre-framing is provided in the catalogue entry; sold with three official racecards for the 1981 Derby (4) Provenance:Sold at an after dinner charity auction organised by the Racehorse Owners’ Association and held at the Dorchester Hotel, London, in 1981. Then offered at Graham Budd Auctions 20th November 2007 as lot 208. Bought by the present vendor. Considered one of the greatest-ever Derby winners, HH The Aga Khan's Shergar won this the 202nd running by a record distance of ten lengths, ridden by 19-year-old Walter Swinburn and trained by Michael Stoute. Retired for stallion duties, Shergar became front page news in February 1983 when an IRA-linked armed gang kidnapped him from the Aga Khan's Irish stud. It later transpired that tragically, the horse injured himself and was shot four days after the theft. His body has never been found.