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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-AU link=blue vlink=purple><div class=WordSection1><h1>Terrorists steal John Singleton-bred stallion in bloody Libya raid<o:p></o:p></h1><p class=standfirst-content>Terrorists have stolen a prized stallion bred by John Singleton, taken several others and shot two horses during a terrifying armed raid on a stud farm.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><b>Shayne O’Cass</b>, Exclusive, The Daily Telegraph<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Subscriber only<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>| <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>January 6, 2020 2:45pm<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><img width=649 height=365 style='width:6.7604in;height:3.802in' id="Picture_x0020_8" src="cid:image001.jpg@01D5C52B.63459DB0" alt="Racing Review returns for 2020"><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p>A prized horse bred by John Singleton who went on to become a Magic Millions sale topper was stolen in a bloody raid by armed terrorists in Libya at the weekend.<o:p></o:p></p><p>Churchill Downs, who finished third to Miss Finland in the 2006 Golden Slipper, was among six stallions and 12 in-foal mares taken at gunpoint during a bloody 14-hour ordeal on Saturday evening from the nation’s premier thoroughbred farm, Al Shaab Stud.<o:p></o:p></p><p>Grave fears are held for the son of Danehill, whose adopted home has been caught in the middle of an increasingly violent civil conflict in Libya for months.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><img width=1280 height=720 style='width:13.3333in;height:7.5in' id="Picture_x0020_4" src="cid:image008.jpg@01D5C52B.65A5FBE0" alt="Churchill Downs was born and bred in Australia before being sent to Libya in 2012."><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Churchill Downs was born and bred in Australia before being sent to Libya in 2012.<o:p></o:p></p><p>Churchill Downs was exported to the Middle East in 2012 to help build up Libya’s fledgling breeding stocks, having previously stood at stud in Victoria.<o:p></o:p></p><p>Five other stallions were also stolen from Al Shaab Stud including Brut Force, a son of 1999 Melbourne Cup runner-up Champagne, Backdraft, the former Gai Waterhouse-trained son of Testa Rossa, and Eavesdropper, who stood at Emirates Park Stud in the upper Hunter Valley.<o:p></o:p></p><p>“At six o’clock (Saturday), an armed group came from the Tarhuna city militia loyal to Haftar,’’ Al Shaab Stud owner Dr Amad Ashaab told The Daily Telegraph via email.<o:p></o:p></p><p>“They broke into the stable and stole all the veterinary devices, furniture, offices, generator, jars and water pumps.<o:p></o:p></p><p>“They stole the 12 in-foal mares that are about to give birth this January and February. Then they entered the stallion of stallions and stole 6 stallions: Churchill Downs, Brut Force, Backdraft, Eavesdropper, Raise A Grand and Metternich.”<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><a href="https://ad.doubleclick.net/ddm/trackclk/N1165332.128491THEDAILYTELEGRAPH/B23097397.253956201;dc_trk_aid=450906411;dc_trk_cid=120131489;dc_lat=;dc_rdid=;tag_for_child_directed_treatment=;tfua=" target="_blank"><o:p></o:p></a></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><img border=0 width=1280 height=720 style='width:13.3333in;height:7.5in' id="Picture_x0020_2" src="cid:image009.jpg@01D5C52B.65A5FBE0" alt="John Singleton (right) with Gerry Harvey at Royal Randwick. Picture: Chris Pavlich">John Singleton (right) with Gerry Harvey at Royal Randwick. Picture: Chris Pavlich<o:p></o:p></p><p>Dr Ashaab founded Al Shaab Stud and has been the driving force behind efforts to build and maintain a thriving thoroughbred industry in Libya.<o:p></o:p></p><p>He regularly attended sales on the Gold Coast to acquire horses to take back to his farm near Tripoli.<o:p></o:p></p><p>He has pleaded for international help to rescue the prized thoroughbreds.<o:p></o:p></p><p>“They shot two horses and were wounded in the hind legs so that no one could provide the ambulance to help the horse with euthanasia,” Dr Ashaab said.<o:p></o:p></p><p>“We appeal to all humanitarian organisations and all horse organisations to save the horses of Libya.”<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><img border=0 width=1280 height=720 style='width:13.3333in;height:7.5in' id="Picture_x0020_1" src="cid:image010.jpg@01D5C52B.65A5FBE0" alt="Churchill Downs with David Hayes’ former stable forewoman Lizzie Jelfs.">Churchill Downs with David Hayes’ former stable forewoman Lizzie Jelfs.<o:p></o:p></p><p>Singleton sold Churchill Downs at the 2005 Magic Millions Yearling Sale on the Gold Coast fetching top price of $950,000.<o:p></o:p></p><p>Trained by David Hayes, Churchill Downs finished second in the Magic Millions 2YO Classic and third in the Golden Slipper with Darren Beadman in the saddle.<o:p></o:p></p><p>Churchill Downs’ kidnapping has evoked memories of British champion Shergar, who was believed to have been kidnapped by the IRA in 1983.<o:p></o:p></p><p>His owner, the Aga Khan’s stud farm in Ireland, was sent a 2 million pound ransom demand but, after four days of negotiations, talks abruptly ended and the horse was never seen again.<o:p></o:p></p><p>Shergar’s body was never found.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:black'><o:p> </o:p></span></p></div></body></html>