Racing: Gotta Go Cullen humbled

Boom New Zealand colt Gotta Go Cullen had his colours lowered by outsider Lively Exit in a semifinal of the Australian Breeders Crown at Ballarat.

Gotta Go Cullen was backed in to $1.60 favouritism on the Victorian tote, after Sydney 2-year-old Lombo Mandingo was widely tipped to beat him in the race late on Monday night (NZT).

Gotta Go Cullen was hemmed in behind pacemaker Lombo Mandingo for most of the 2200m race and driver Nicole Thorn hooked him out at the top of the straight to challenge Lively Exit, who had overtaken Lombo Mandingo.

But the New Zealander couldn't find enough to gather in the $22 outsider, going down by a length.

He is likely to derive plenty of benefit from the race and will meet Lombo Mandingo's more vaunted stablemate Lombo Pocket Watch, who won the other semifinal, in Sunday's A$284,000 ($347,400) final.

In an earlier race, the New Zealand 2-year-old filly One Dream was an easy winner of her semifinal, while Western Dream was fourth in a 3-year-old fillies semifinal.

- NZPA