Mystery of racehorse Shergar investigated in new Peninsula Television feature doc

Shergar: The Racehorse & the IRA comes from Peninsula Television

UK public service broadcaster Channel 4 has acquired new feature-length documentary Shergar: The Racehorse & the IRA.

Dublin-based true crime specialist Peninsula Television (Scissor Sisters) has delivered the 1×90’ title, which explores one of sport’s greatest unsolved mysteries: the disappearance of Irish-bred thoroughbred stallion Shergar.

In February 1983, armed men abducted the Epsom Derby- and Irish Derby-winning racehorse from Ballymany Stud in County Kildare, demanding a £2m ransom.

Suspicion fell on the Provisional IRA amid the tensions of the Troubles, though the organisation has never admitted any role in the theft.

Through interviews, archival footage and expert analysis, the series reconstructs the night Shergar was taken and the investigation that followed – unpicking competing theories, revealing new testimony and confronting unsettling possibilities.

UK-based sales house Sphere Abacus is handling global distribution.

David Harvey, executive producer, said: “Shergar’s disappearance remains one of the most extraordinary and unresolved stories in sporting history, and this series brings fresh insight into the mystery through first-hand testimony and detailed investigation.”

Sphere Abacus MD Jonathan Ford said: “Shergar: The Racehorse & the IRA combines powerful storytelling and many fresh perspectives on one of racing’s greatest enigmas. We are confident the series will captivate audiences around the world, and we look forward to bringing it to international broadcasters and platforms.”