By MIKE DILLON
Paul O'Sullivan did not sleep well Thursday night.
The $250,000 McDonogh Stakes barrier draw proved a nightmare for the Matamata trainer.
O'Sullivan has won two of the last three runnings of the country's premier group one sprint with Bawalaksana and Coogee Walk and was looking for a barrier draw pointer to help make that score three from the last four.
"All I want is good draws for Kasman and Bawalaksana," he said Thursday.
Try No 17 of 17 for Kasman and Bawalaksana out of gate No 14.
"What do you do, you've got to cop it and hope for the best," said O'Sullivan with an air of resignation yesterday.
Brother Lance O'Sullivan was undecided which of the pair to ride and was looking for the barrier draw to tell him.
Because inside draws are so crucial in a race like this he feels Bawalaksana is no better off than Kasman and decided yesterday to ride the latter.
"You need a tremendous amount of luck to win from out there and it's luck you rarely get," said Paul O'Sullivan.
"For that money you can't not run, so we'll show up and hope for the best.
"We need to sit down and work out how much speed there is in the race. If you drop back early you have to rely on there being speed on so that you can come back in the closing stages.
"There is not much chance on pressing forward and being left three wide."
O'Sullivan's disappointment is that much keener after Kasman and Bawalaksana worked in great style at Matamata on Thursday morning.
"I couldn't be happier with the pair of them."
Ace apprentice Michael Walker will ride Bawalaksana.
Completely happy with the barrier draw are trainer Graeme Rogerson and owner Eric Watson after their Australian-based sprinter Cullen drew gate No 1.
Cullen was a good thing beaten in last year's McDonogh Railway, ducking out in the home straight when Allan Robinson had his whip in the right hand.
He lost his winning advantage and Cannsea caught him in the last stride.
Cullen's lead-up form this time is even better.
Under 58kg he won over 1100m at Flemington in a very fast 1.3.29 on November 11.
Subsequently Cullen was beaten into third in a photo finish behind Sports at weight-for-age at Sandown.
"He's done very well since he's been in New Zealand," said Rogerson yesterday.
Damien Oliver, who has been riding Cullen in Australia, takes the McDonogh mount.
Rogerson is buoyed by winning two races from his Dubai stable on Thursday night, one for the 11-man Australasian partnership headed by Sir Patrick Hogan.
"Their horse Pinctada Pearl won easily over 1700m and is a very good filly," said Rogerson.
Tim Bodle, Nelson Schick, Alan Galbraith, Don McLaren and Rex and Gerald Fell are among the owners of the Volskraad-Scarlet Ice filly, one of four the syndicate purchased from the draft of New Zealand horses sold in Dubai.
"She could end up in England for the off season, we believe she's a group filly."
Rogerson's second winner was Victreen Bell, by Victory Dance.
Launching an attack is South Island sprinter Fritz, who is doing well from his Takanini base according to trainer Neil Coulbeck..
Racing: Stablemates face tough trip to glory
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