A LONG and complicated process lies ahead before there is any prospect of finding a solution to the Shergar mystery. That is the sober view of John Flynn, head of the Weatherbys' Bloodtyping Laboratories in Kildare, as he seeks to play down rumours that an end to the 13 year riddle is near.

The exhumation of a carcass in Donegal has sparked new hopes of a positive identification of the colt, kidnapped from the Ballymany Stud in 1983. But EDNA profiles from the carcass, from Shergar's offspring and hair samples believed to be from the horse himself must first be built before there is any possibility of knowing whether the remains are his.

Flynn, who will mastermind the process, warned. "The potential is there for a 100 per cent, unequivocal identification that the carcass is that of Shergar but there is a very long and difficult time ahead.

"There will have to be a complete and thorough testing procedure to be done and we will be relying on how the owners of Shergar's offspring respond.

"A DNA profile has to be built from the carcass and that has then to be matched up with the DNA profiles from other material, sources of hair which have come to light and the horse's offspring.

"If all three were to match up, that would amount to overwhelming evidence, but the material is between 12 and 13 years old and it is a very protracted and uncertain business".

"It would be marvellous if the whole thing could be resolved but it could take any amount of time, and at this stage I would rather be pessimistic than optimistic."

The bay, owned by the Aga Khan and trained at Newmarket by Michael Stoute, gained a stunning 10 length dismissal of the 1981 Derby field under the then 19 year old Walter Swinburn.

There has been much discussion since his kidnapping, with links to the IRA, hoax ransom calls and bogus sightings all playing their part against the overwhelming evidence that Shergar was killed shortly after an over ambitious and ill researched kidnapping that went tragically wrong.