Shergar
Shergar (1999)
Tagline: "Discover the heart of a champion"
Featured Racecourse: Milltown (fictional point to point)
Starring: Tom Walsh, Mickey Rourke, David Warner, Ian Holm
Director: Dennis C Lewiston
Producer: Brian Agnew
Writer: Dennis C Lewiston
Release Date: June 1999
Runtime: 95 mins
IMDB Synopsis: A reform-school runaway tries to save a horse from being shot by its IRA kidnappers after their ransom demands are refused.
Where to Buy: Amazon
Film Links: IMDB
Featured Racecourse: Milltown (fictional point to point)
Starring: Tom Walsh, Mickey Rourke, David Warner, Ian Holm
Director: Dennis C Lewiston
Producer: Brian Agnew
Writer: Dennis C Lewiston
Release Date: June 1999
Runtime: 95 mins
IMDB Synopsis: A reform-school runaway tries to save a horse from being shot by its IRA kidnappers after their ransom demands are refused.
Where to Buy: Amazon
Film Links: IMDB
Personal Review
This film is based on the true story of the kidnapping of champion race horse Shergar by the Provisional IRA in 1983 and offers it's own version of the mysterious events which followed. Terrorists Gavin O'Rourke (Mickey Rourke) and Dermot Concannon (Andrew Connolly) lead an IRA splinter group which steal Shergar away from his Newbridge Stud and take him to a remote farm run by Eammon Garrity (David Warner) and his wife (Virginia Cole). The group are unaware that the Garrity's farm hand Kevin Doherty (Tom Walsh), an orphan and wannabe jockey, lives in the barn where Shergar is being held and that he is aware of the horse's true identity. Kevin is asked to look after Shergar in the barn and the pair form a strong bond - the Garrity's and Kevin also manage to conceal Shergar's whereabouts during two police visits.
When it's clear that the ransom demands of the kidnappers and not going to be met the IRA decide to return to the farm to execute the horse but Kevin catches wind of the plan and rides away on Shergar with the IRA and authorities in hot pursuit. He manages to buy some time to change the appearance of the horse and then bumps into a tinker man Joe Maguire (Ian Holm) and his grand-daughter Kate (Laura Murphy) who show him kindness and affection. The group travel together and Kevin even rides Joe's mare Baytown Lady to success in a point to point race before the IRA group finally catch up with him. He manages to escape on Shergar again but is eventually cornered by the terrorists on the top of a cliff and with the barrel of a gun pointing at the pair of them, Kevin has to make the decision of a lifetime.
I quite liked Dennis Lewiston's take on what happened to Shergar after he was kidnapped for ransom by the IRA in 1983 - I'm much happier imagining that a devoted young boy escaped with the stallion rather than the probable truth of a gruesome end at the hands of the terrorists. Having said that he still met quite a tragic end in this film but I loved the closing scene which suggested that Baytown Lady had been covered by Shergar before his demise. I really liked the relationship between the orphan tear-away Kevin (Tom Walsh), Joe Maguire, a poet, horseman and free-spirit (played by award winning actor Ian Holm) and his grand-daughter Kate (Laura Murphy) who provides a minor love interest. They show Kevin warmth, love and affection which he has never experienced during his life having being abandoned as a child - Tom Walsh's acting in particular very good and it's strange that he only appeared in one other film (Short in 2000). David Warner was convincing as the troubled farm owner Eammon Garrity but I didn't like with Mickey Rourke being cast as the lead terrorist - he looked totally out of place with his fake tan and plastic looks and one of the best parts of the film for me was when his car was stopped by the army and all the occupants executed.
I wasn't expecting to see any horse racing in this film and I thought an early scene where Kevin reminisces about Shergar's Derby winning exploits, with background commentary from the legendary Peter O'Sullivan, was as good as it was going to get. I was therefore quite pleased to a get a racing scene towards the end, albeit filmed at a fictional point to point course called Milltown. Joe lets wannabe jockey Kevin (his estranged father was a good jump jockey in America and known to Joe) ride his mare Baytown Lady in one of the races - Kevin rides a waiting race as instructed and gets the mare up on the line to win at the juicy odds of 20/1. The whole sequence is well executed and realistic with a stunning backdrop - in fact the breathtaking scenery throughout this film (actually made on location in the Isle of Man) was a major highlight for me .
Shergar was an Irish bred bay colt, born in 1978 by Great Nephew out of Sharmeen, who was trained by Michael Stoute in Newmarket. In his two year old season he won his maiden race at Newbury in a course record before being beaten into second place at Doncaster. As a three year old Shergar won the Classic Trial at Sandown by ten lengths and followed up with a twelve length victory in the Chester Vase which made him an odds-on favourite for the 1981 Derby. He famously won the Epsom classic by a record ten lengths under eighteen year old Walter Swinburn and followed up in the Irish Derby under Lester PIggott and the King Geroge VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Ascot before finding the St Leger distance too far in his final race. In October 1981 Shergar was sent to stud in Newbridge Ireland and produced 35 foals at a cover fee of between £50000 and £80000, one of only which had been born by the time of his kidnap in February 1983. The stud buildings were poorly protected and the terrorists had no trouble gaining access and stealing the horse. What happened next though remains a mystery to this day - the police were accused of bungling the subsequent investigation and it's generally thought that the unruly stallion was shot within the first few hours of his disappearance even before any ransom demands were made. His remains were never found and the terrorists have never been officially identified.
This movie is quite a sentimental (and very far-fetched) take on what happened to Shergar following his disappearance, I thought the plot played out quite well, the scenery was magnificent and I was also quite moved by the shock ending. I would have preferred the start of the film to focus more on the racing exploits of Shergar with archived footage but I still liked the film overall and it's certainly worth watching. (Rating 6/10)
When it's clear that the ransom demands of the kidnappers and not going to be met the IRA decide to return to the farm to execute the horse but Kevin catches wind of the plan and rides away on Shergar with the IRA and authorities in hot pursuit. He manages to buy some time to change the appearance of the horse and then bumps into a tinker man Joe Maguire (Ian Holm) and his grand-daughter Kate (Laura Murphy) who show him kindness and affection. The group travel together and Kevin even rides Joe's mare Baytown Lady to success in a point to point race before the IRA group finally catch up with him. He manages to escape on Shergar again but is eventually cornered by the terrorists on the top of a cliff and with the barrel of a gun pointing at the pair of them, Kevin has to make the decision of a lifetime.
I quite liked Dennis Lewiston's take on what happened to Shergar after he was kidnapped for ransom by the IRA in 1983 - I'm much happier imagining that a devoted young boy escaped with the stallion rather than the probable truth of a gruesome end at the hands of the terrorists. Having said that he still met quite a tragic end in this film but I loved the closing scene which suggested that Baytown Lady had been covered by Shergar before his demise. I really liked the relationship between the orphan tear-away Kevin (Tom Walsh), Joe Maguire, a poet, horseman and free-spirit (played by award winning actor Ian Holm) and his grand-daughter Kate (Laura Murphy) who provides a minor love interest. They show Kevin warmth, love and affection which he has never experienced during his life having being abandoned as a child - Tom Walsh's acting in particular very good and it's strange that he only appeared in one other film (Short in 2000). David Warner was convincing as the troubled farm owner Eammon Garrity but I didn't like with Mickey Rourke being cast as the lead terrorist - he looked totally out of place with his fake tan and plastic looks and one of the best parts of the film for me was when his car was stopped by the army and all the occupants executed.
I wasn't expecting to see any horse racing in this film and I thought an early scene where Kevin reminisces about Shergar's Derby winning exploits, with background commentary from the legendary Peter O'Sullivan, was as good as it was going to get. I was therefore quite pleased to a get a racing scene towards the end, albeit filmed at a fictional point to point course called Milltown. Joe lets wannabe jockey Kevin (his estranged father was a good jump jockey in America and known to Joe) ride his mare Baytown Lady in one of the races - Kevin rides a waiting race as instructed and gets the mare up on the line to win at the juicy odds of 20/1. The whole sequence is well executed and realistic with a stunning backdrop - in fact the breathtaking scenery throughout this film (actually made on location in the Isle of Man) was a major highlight for me .
Shergar was an Irish bred bay colt, born in 1978 by Great Nephew out of Sharmeen, who was trained by Michael Stoute in Newmarket. In his two year old season he won his maiden race at Newbury in a course record before being beaten into second place at Doncaster. As a three year old Shergar won the Classic Trial at Sandown by ten lengths and followed up with a twelve length victory in the Chester Vase which made him an odds-on favourite for the 1981 Derby. He famously won the Epsom classic by a record ten lengths under eighteen year old Walter Swinburn and followed up in the Irish Derby under Lester PIggott and the King Geroge VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Ascot before finding the St Leger distance too far in his final race. In October 1981 Shergar was sent to stud in Newbridge Ireland and produced 35 foals at a cover fee of between £50000 and £80000, one of only which had been born by the time of his kidnap in February 1983. The stud buildings were poorly protected and the terrorists had no trouble gaining access and stealing the horse. What happened next though remains a mystery to this day - the police were accused of bungling the subsequent investigation and it's generally thought that the unruly stallion was shot within the first few hours of his disappearance even before any ransom demands were made. His remains were never found and the terrorists have never been officially identified.
This movie is quite a sentimental (and very far-fetched) take on what happened to Shergar following his disappearance, I thought the plot played out quite well, the scenery was magnificent and I was also quite moved by the shock ending. I would have preferred the start of the film to focus more on the racing exploits of Shergar with archived footage but I still liked the film overall and it's certainly worth watching. (Rating 6/10)
Favourite Quotes
Inspector Deely: "What's he worth?"
Sergeant Malen: "Hard to put a figure on it"
Inspector Deely: "Try"
Sergeant Malen: "He's a king, I'd say fifteen million - twenty million. He would have one hundred mares arrive here just for him"
Inspector Deely: "Not all at once I hope"
Sergeant Malen: "Have you ever seen it?"
Inspector Deely: "The mating, no never"
Sergeant Malen: "It's all over in ten seconds"
Inspector Deely: "Sounds a bit like me"Sergeant Malen: "Hard to put a figure on it"
Inspector Deely: "Try"
Sergeant Malen: "He's a king, I'd say fifteen million - twenty million. He would have one hundred mares arrive here just for him"
Inspector Deely: "Not all at once I hope"
Sergeant Malen: "Have you ever seen it?"
Inspector Deely: "The mating, no never"
Sergeant Malen: "It's all over in ten seconds"
Sergeant Malen: "Yep but you don't get one hundred thousand pounds a time do you!"
MOVIE STILLS
