Shergar quickly'"; another shareholder, Lord Derby, disagreed and said "if ransom money is paid for this horse, then there is a danger of other horses being kidnapped in the years to come – and that simply cannot be tolerated". The first phone call from the thieves was on the night Shergar was stolen; Fitzgerald was not back at Ballymany by that time, and had not had the chance to tell the news of the theft to anyone. The call was to Jeremy Maxwell, a horse trainer based in Northern Ireland. The caller demanded £40,000, although this figure was later raised to
Horse racing in Ireland crowds in excess of 100,000 annually attending both the Punchestown Festival in April, and the Galway Races in July. The majority of racecourses are turf, with Dundalk being the only floodlit all-weather polytrack. Laytown holds the distinction of being the only beach racecourse in the country adhering to the rules of the Turf Club, with one race meeting held each year on a natural sand track; however unaffiliated beach races are frequently held on beaches in some parts of the country. Horse Racing Ireland recognises the following racecourses: Ulster Munster Leinster Connacht Races have previously been held under the Rules