Trainer Clinton McDonald believes that Second Effort is in career best form and is confident that the tough gelding can upset favourite Puissance De Lune to win his second straight P.B. Lawrence Stakes (1400m) title at Caulfield on Saturday.

Trainer Clinton McDonald is confident Second Effort can record his second straight victory in the P.B. Lawrence Stakes at Caulfield tomorrow. Photo by: Race Horse Photos Australia

Second Effort is coming into the Group 2 race on the back of an impressive victory in the Group 3 Bletchingly Stakes (1200m) at Caulfield at the end of July and McDonald told Radio Sports National that he is delighted with how the seven-year-old has performed this preparation.

“He is going terrific, he has come up really well and it was a good strong win the other day coming into this race,” McDonald said.

“We have had a better lead-up coming into this spring and he hasn’t any issues – this time in he has been absolutely perfect.

“He just seems to be better than he has ever been and I’m wrapped with how the horse is.”

Second Effort faces a tough test against Puissance De Lune this weekend but McDonald thinks that his star gallopers’ fitness edge will give him an advantage.

McDonald said on RSN that Second Effort will get a great run into the race from barrier four and will hopefully pinch a break on the Melbourne Cup favourite before the concluding stages of the race.

“There looks to be nice speed in the race so hopefully we can get the nice run and steal a little bit of a break on the grey horse,” McDonald said.

“If it was at Flemington you would probably be a little bit more worried, I’m just hoping that Caulfield being a more tight turning track we can sort of slip away from him.”

Second Effort will become the first back-to-back winner of the P.B. Lawrence Stakes since Tauto in 1972 if he is victorious tomorrow.