Shergar, Moore to Join British Racing Hall of Fame

Ryan Moore and Shergar will be the latest racing greats to be inducted into the British Racing Hall of Fame, with the ceremony scheduled for British Champions Day Oct. 17 at Ascot. Moore, the first choice rider for trainer Aidan O'Brien, is widely considered to be one of the greatest flat jockeys of all time. He has ridden more than 3,400 winners worldwide and in 2024 passed the milestone of 200 group 1 and grade 1 victories. The son of trainer Gary Moore, he rode his first winner in 2000 before stints with Richard Hannon and Sir Michael Stoute established him firmly within the top tier of jockeys. He recorded 100 winners and £1 million in prize-money for the first time in 2004 and was champion jockey in 2006, 2008, and 2009. Moore's CV includes four Epsom Derby (G1) victories, two Prix de l'Arc de Triomphes (G1) and major international victories around the globe, including the Japan Cup and Melbourne Cup (both G1). In North America he has captured 16 Breeders' Cup races. He said: "I'm honored to be inducted into the British Racing Hall of Fame. I've been fortunate to work with some brilliant people throughout my career. My family's support was so important when I was starting out, and Richard Hannon showed lots of faith in me in the early days as well. "I'm also particularly grateful to Sir Michael Stoute and Aidan O'Brien for the opportunities they've given me over the years. It means a lot to be recognized alongside them and others who have achieved so much in the sport." Shergar, who was bred by the Aga Khan IV and trained by Stoute, carried all before him in his classic season in 1981. He won the Derby by an astonishing ten lengths—still a record winning margin—as well as the Irish Derby (G1) and the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes (G1). Following a below-par run in the St Leger (G1), the colt was retired to stud in Ireland and syndicated into 40 shares—his breeder kept six—worth £250,000 each for a £10 million valuation. The world's most expensive stallion at the time, he covered 44 mares at £80,000 each in his one season breeding. On Feb. 8, 1983, armed men abducted Shergar from Ballymany Stud located close to the Curragh in County Kildare. He was never seen again. It is generally accepted he had been killed and his remains have never been found. Taking Shergar Princess Zahra, daughter of the Aga Khan, revealed this year that the negotiations over a ransom were complicated by the need to reach a consensus among the horse's shareholders. She recalled that her father 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." The story of Shergar's career and kidnapping has been the subject of a number of screen dramatizations, three documentaries, and several books. Sophie Able, co-chair of the British Racing Hall of Fame panel, said: "It was the unanimous decision of the panel that Shergar and Ryan Moore are both truly deserving inductees to the British Racing Hall of Fame. Shergar remains one of the most celebrated and iconic horses in British racing history, while Ryan's outstanding career and achievements in the saddle have established him as one of the great jockeys of his generation."