The present Aga Khan, accompanied by the trainer Sir Michael Stoute, leading in Shahrastani, a dual Derby winner at Epsom and the Curragh in 1986.

The Aga Khan's personal response to the outrage showed true statesmanship. He refused to blame the many for the misdeeds of the few. Today His Highness not only retains his major breeding operation in County Kildare, but also has a strong team of horses that go into training each year with John Oxx at The Curragh. It was a small measure of compensation for Shergar's death that within five years Sir Michael Stoute saddled a second dual Derby winner, Shahrastani. In 1988 the Aga Khan's Kahyasi, became his third Epsom/Irish Derby winner and Sinndar completed an amazing four-timer of dual Derby winners in 2000.

Shahrastani's pair of Derby wins were achieved in contrasting styles. Like Shergar, he started his three-year-old season with an impressive win in the Guardian Classic Trial at Sandown. However, jockeyship played its part at Epsom - where Swinburn had him up with the pace and then made full use of his stamina to drive clear. He held on by half a length from the late burst of Dancing Brave who was in a near hopeless position at Tattenham Corner. The Curragh was just the sort of galloping track that suited Shahrastani and he eventually left the King Edward VII Stakes winner Bonhomie trailing eight lengths behind.

Shahrastani's fifth dam Pale Ale had been an inexpensive yet inspired 770 guinea purchase at the December Sales. She was thirteen years old and had not previously shone at stud. Nevertheless. Prince Aly Khan saw merit where no one else did and in return she bred for him the King Edward VII Stakes winner Skyraider and the Irish Oaks winner Amante.

For the 1988 Derby, the Aga Khan was double-handed and his two runners Doyoun and Kahyasi were the only starters with unbeaten records going into the race. Doyoun, the 2,000 Guineas winner, was bred from Dumka who won the Poule d'Essai des Pouliches in 1974. She was purchased by the Aga Khan for 60,000 guineas in 1974 at the Newmarket December Sales. Doyoun traces back to Major Lionel Holliday's foundation mare Lost Soul. Almost twenty years later His Highness acquired the Holliday stock, thereby reinforcing the presence in his stud of the Lost Soul family.

Doyoun at 9 to 1 was the shorter priced of the Aga Khan pair. However, those who put their faith in the superior staying power of Kahyasi, also well backed at 11 to 1, were rewarded when Ray Cochrane challenged up the centre of the course to beat Glacial Storm by one and a half lengths. Doyoun was the same distance away 3rd. It should be noted that Kahyasi wore the famous green and brown hooped silks of the Aga Khan's grandfather to victory. These historic colours are used when the present Aga Khan has two fancied runners in the same Group One race in England or Ireland. It showed Kahyasi's rare grit and determination when in the Budweiser Irish Derby he delivered a Derby double after a marvellous battle in the last two furlongs with Insan that ended with a short-head win. Shahrastani and Kahyasi share another distinction - they are the only first foals to achieve dual Derby status, a feat all the more remarkable because in the 219 runnings of the English Derby, only 13 first foals have ever managed to win.