'Now is the time to bet like men' - how Shergar made a lot of people very rich

Jimmy Scott, then in the tenth of what would be 40 years as travelling head lad to Sir Michael Stoute, was so impressed with Shergar's work on Racecourse Side that he decided to place a decent ante-post Derby bet. He missed the biggest prices but the returns from his 16-1 wager were still enough to buy a new Mercedes.

Julian Wilson, BBC Television's principal racing presenter, was so taken aback by the April gallop that he made a point of snaffling some of the 33-1 that had been available all winter. The winnings were used to pay for the emerald, sapphire and diamond engagement ring he presented to future wife Alison in London's Ponte Vecchio restaurant on the night of the Derby.

Richard Baerlein, racing correspondent to The Observer, had been backing Shergar at 33-1 long before that stunning spring workout. He continued lumping on the Aga Khan's three-year-old, not least after his ten-length reappearance stroll in Sandown's Guardian Classic Trial. "At 8-1 for the Derby, now is the time to bet like men," Baerlein told his readers. He himself was betting like an exceptionally confident man and used the resulting haul to purchase a house in Sussex. He called it Shergar.