A racehorse allegedly owned by a close ally of Russian president Vladimir Putin has been stolen from a stable in the Czech Republic in an incident with echoes of the kidnapping of Shergar.
The disappearance of the 16-year-old Group 1-winning stallion Zazou, who raced for Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov, was reported last weekend from a stud outside Prague.
Czech police believe the horse, a son of Shamardal said to be worth about £17,000, was led away under cover of darkness after the safety chain was removed from the barn door.
