Did Rachmaninov expect us all to have pianos with sostenuto pedals?

For those who don't, is it reasonable for a Grade 8 pupil to take on a piece with lots of pedal notes that can't possibly be held for their full value without hands that span about fifteen notes? Or without just holding absolutely everything with the damper pedal at the expense of the phrasing and articulation of the other parts?

Is this the C sharp minor prelude, by any chance?

Like this, perhaps?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ifKKlhYF53w

On a more serious note, can it be done by half-pedalling?

I'm currently plearning a piece that needs a lot of sostenuto pedal, but I don't have one on my piano.

Whjat I do, is practice it without for most of the time (this is actually quite good, because it encourages you to focus on articulation perfectly, because it is so ennunciated without the sostenuto). Then when I visit my piano teacher, I use the sostenuto pedal there.

I think closer to the performance, I will have to practice more often on a piano with 3 pedals (I have practice rooms near me that you can rent for £8/£10 per hour - expensive when you do it 5 times a week, but not too bad occasionally). I have worked like this before and although it is not ideal, in the end my performance didn't suffer.

You don't NEED a sostenuto. You can use half-pedalling to clear the treble while allowing the base to continue to sound.

Incidentally half-pedalling is not pressing the pedal halfway. It means to release the pedal fully, then immediately depress it again.

You practice by making a big chord with the left hand in the bass and another with the right hand in the treble. Hold them on the pedal and release the keys. Now practice quickly releasing and re-pressing the pedal. You will soon learn how much damping you need to get rid of the high notes, but keep the bass. It varies from piano to piano, so you need to check out any new piano before you perform on it.

Aha! I knew there had to be an answer.
It's not the Prelude; it's a lovely piece on the new alternative TG syllabus, the name of which I don't have to hand, but which I'll post tomorrow.