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
Coolmore Stud Stakes Coolmore Stud Stakes The Coolmore Stud Stakes, registered as the Ascot Vale Stakes, is a Victoria Racing Club Group 1 Thoroughbred horse race for three-year-olds, at set weights, run over 1200 metres at Flemington Racecourse, Melbourne, Australia on Victoria Derby Day. Total prize money is A$1,000,000. Originally the event from inception to 1965 for two-year-olds in the VRC Autumn Carnival usually on Australian Cup day. The Victoria Racing Club removed the race from the calendar in 1966 and the race was idle until it was rescheduled to be run in the early spring meeting in September for three-year-olds in 1969