Shergar is defeated in the 1981 St Leger

...Cut Above ridden by Joe Mercer defeats the hot favourite Shergar to spring a surprise in the 1981 St Leger.............

Category:

Sports

Tags:

• shergar
• st
• leger
• 1981
• walter
• swinburne

[GBeret83]

Shergar may have been defeated in the 81' St Leger. But no one can dispute the greatness of this horse!! IMO, he ranks among the top of the all-time great middle distance, European turf horses. It really was a very sad tragedy the fate that Shergar met.

[ComteLafon]

something was a bit amiss: he wasn't going well even at 10 furlongs - he doesn't seem to pick up at all. There were reports at the time (a lot more rumour in those days, and less media) that Shergar had been mulish at home, not quite the sparkle there. He was still going to run in the Arc but they - well, decided not to, is the kindest expression. Those were the bad days when some horses' reputations weren't going to be risked by actually racing them. We're a lot luckier now.

[tigerboy1966]

Thirty years ago- crikey- seems like yesterday, and other cliches...

Just watching this again and I can see no excuses- Shergar just wasn't good enough at the distance.

The only thing I can offer in explanation is that there was a deliberate effort by the Hern team to run the finish out of him.

[stecar18]

@littlebay75 the reason why you will never see another triple crown winner in our time, These days any owner of a guineas and Derby winner just knows to go straight to the Arc for greatness and not risk pointless defeat in a race at Doncaster over a distance great horses no longer race at. (See Seas the Stars for details)

[Mr75littlebay]

shergar was more than a good horse he was one of the greats a pity they sent him for the leger he would have made a tremendous four year old this race was an unnecessary blot on a wonderful racehorse !!

[dayjur90]

dick hern's relay team - magikin, bustomi, cut above set a fierce pace on soft ground and i think that just found shergar out. Plus the first three were all late maturing types who were improving.

[littlebay75]

im sure only shergar and reference point have gone for the leger after winning the derby since nijinsky won the triple crown

[MEECHIO]

@MEECHIO You've reminded me Frankschlanker, you are indeed correct. It was in the Yorkshire Oaks, he was lucky to survive it by all accounts. Thanks again for the recap.

[frankschlanker]

@MEECHIO Wasnt that the year Willies horse Silken Knot fell on the bend at York and he was hospitalised for a while with serious injuries?

[littlebay75]

dancing brave was a hold up horse shergar a relentless galloper what a race it would be between those two