Sport

Prescott likely to send only Wizard King

Mark Prescott yesterday all but ruled Mountain Song out of Sunday's Aga Khan Studs National Stakes at the Curragh

Fri Sept 19 1997 - 01:00

Mark Prescott yesterday all but ruled Mountain Song out of Sunday's Aga Khan Studs National Stakes at the Curragh. He left the Thirsk and Salisbury winner in the Group One race at Wednesday's acceptance stage but announced yesterday: "Mountain Song is an unlikely runner. He will probably go for the Houghton Sales race at Newmarket."

Aliabad and Kilimanjaro were announced as non-runners on Wednesday in the £200,000 contest, for which Central Park is set to be Britain's leading representative.

But Prescott will be at the Curragh tomorrow when Wizard King bids for the 17th victory of his career in the Group Three Aon MacDonagh Boland Stakes.

"Wizard King will run on Saturday," the trainer confirmed. "He is a wonderful horse to train - my mother could do it apparently!"

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The six-year-old has won Group Three events at Leopardstown and Newcastle on his last two starts.

No decision has been made on running plans for Prescott's Magnet Cup winner Pasternak, 10 to 1 favourite for the Cambridgeshire but also still engaged in the Tote Festival Handicap at Ascot a week earlier.

"It depends entirely on the going," Prescott said of the fouryear-old for whom give in the ground is seen as a prerequisite.

Meanwhile, a delighted Graham Bradley revealed yesterday that the golf day he organised is set to make a bumper contribution to the Shane Broderick Appeal.

"We haven't got the absolute final figures but it looks like we raised about £25,000," the jump jockey said.

"It's absolutely magnificent as we only expected between £10,000 and £15,000.

"The turn-out was phenomenal for the golf - we had 200 players - and the auction afterwards went magnificently.

"Lester and Tracy Piggott sent us a couple of limited edition prints and one went for £4,000 and the other for £2,500.

"And Coolmore Stud gave us a free nomination to Supreme Leader, with Merrick Francis providing free transport, and that was bought for about £4,000."

The golf tournament, featuring numerous racing personalities, took place at the West Berkshire club at Chaddleworth on Wednesday.