Ross McDonald is resigned to formulating a race plan for one of the few times in Weekend Hussler's career after racing's latest superstar was dealt a barrier blow for the Turnbull Stakes on Saturday.Weekend Hussler drew the outside barrier in the 13-horse Group One field at Flemington.The Caulfield trainer said he would have to sit down with jockey Brad Rawiller and devise the right tactics to give the reigning Horse of the Year an eighth Group One victory in the 2000m feature."All along he's dr

Ross McDonald is resigned to formulating a race plan for one of the few times in Weekend Hussler's career after racing's latest superstar was dealt a barrier blow for the Turnbull Stakes on Saturday.

Weekend Hussler drew the outside barrier in the 13-horse Group One field at Flemington.

The Caulfield trainer said he would have to sit down with jockey Brad Rawiller and devise the right tactics to give the reigning Horse of the Year an eighth Group One victory in the 2000m feature.

"All along he's drawn a decent barrier. It's about time we got an ordinary one," McDonald said.

"They'll be all trying to beat him so we've got to come up with something to beat them.

"Brad will be able to have a good look at them when he comes out of the barrier and see what the others do.

"There's a bit of a straight run before they get to the first corner and he can work it out from there.

"He's got the ability to go forward and if he got an easy lead it would be great."

Trainer Mark Kavanagh and jockey Michael Rodd will be going into the Turnbull with a different mind-set with Maldivian, who finished fourth to Weekend Hussler in the Underwood Stakes (1800m) at Caulfield on September 20.

Maldivian led and kicked two lengths clear on straightening before shortening stride over the last 100m to be beaten just under four lengths.

"Our best chance is to ride him to suit him and not worry about Weekend Hussler," Rodd said.

"Last time by taking off from the 800 metres we were too focussed on riding him to beat Weekend Hussler."

Kavanagh said Maldivian, who is a big, gross gelding, was not far off his peak now.

"I'd be looking for a good showing from him on Saturday unless it turns out like last year's Turnbull."

Kavanagh won the 2007 Turnbull with Devil Moon but several of the fancied runners failed including El Segundo (sixth), who went on to win the Cox Plate; Efficient (11th), who went on to win the Melbourne Cup; and Marasco who finished second last.

Maldivian drew barrier seven which Rodd was happy with but the mares Tuesday Joy and Zarita didn't fare as well coming up with 11 and 12 respectively.

Trainer Pat Hyland said he believed Zarita, who finished fifth in the Underwood after being trapped wide, would have finished ahead of the runner-up Pompeii Ruler had she had the run he had.

Owner Lloyd Williams and trainer John Sadler have three runners in Efficient (Steven Arnold), Zipping (Eddie Cassar) and Extend (apprentice Nick Hall).

Williams said Cassar had been riding Zipping in trackwork and he had engaged him in the hope of an improvement on his first-up seventh to Guillotine in the Dato Tan Chin Nam Stakes (1600m) at Moonee Valley on September 13.

He said he would be happy if Efficient finished within five lengths of Weekend Hussler.

The Mick Price-trained Pompeii Ruler drew barrier two while the David Hayes-trained pair Guillotine (Craig Williams) and Zagreb (Dwayne Dunn) drew gates five and 10 respectively.