Bad draw won't stop Hussler

Whether he draws the car park or barrier one Weekend Hussler will be a certain starter in Saturday's BMW Caulfield Cup, trainer Ross McDonald declared on Tuesday.

The news is a welcome relief for the Melbourne Racing Club as Weekend Hussler, who had been the favourite for the race from the autumn until his run in the Turnbull.

In the minutes following Weekend Hussler's shock failure in the Turnbull when he finished out of a place after a torrid run, McDonald said his superstar would not run in the Caulfield Cup if he drew a poor barrier.

But the weight of punters' money on the horse, combined with McDonald's renewed confidence in Weekend Hussler's ability to stay, has seen a public change of opinion from the trainer.

"We've probably got to run. There's a fair bit of money on him and probably wouldn't be right or the public to pull him out," said a relaxed McDonald, who will draw the barrier himself at Caulfield on Wednesday.

"I thought if I let any of the owners draw it and we get a bad alley I could go crook at them. If I pull the wrong alley I can only abuse myself."

McDonald and jockey Brad Rawiller have their fingers crossed Weekend Hussler draws inside barrier six.

"Six to 10 I would think we would still be OK and outside probably 10 we're going to be doing plenty of serious homework," Rawiller said.

McDonald will use a tongue tie on Weekend Hussler in the Cup, a 'one percenter that might give us a little bit of an edge', he said.

"Sometimes a horse can get his tongue back and chop his wind a bit. We just thought we try it on and he doesn't seem to mind it so he'll go around with a tongue tie on," he said.