When Second Effort struggled to beat another horse home three times in a row in the autumn, his trainer Clinton McDonald stuck by him and had his faith rewarded.

At Caulfield on Saturday Second Effort again has a lot against him, particularly a track likely to be firm by the time he races.

But McDonald is sticking solid.

"I honestly think he's the best he's ever been," McDonald said.

If that estimate is anywhere near accurate Second Effort is an each-way special in the Sir John Monash Stakes (1100m).

Among his 10 wins, Second Effort boasts a Group Two success in the P B Lawrence Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield last August, a run he followed with an even better effort when third to Sincero and Happy Trails in the Group Two Memsie Stakes.

His form then suffered a severe lapse, but McDonald excused him and put it down to a series of minor problems.

"He's never run a bad race when he's been right," McDonald said.

"Even when he ran two shockers in Sydney in the autumn, I told everyone he'd win the race I'd set him for."

That was the Wangoom Handicap, Victoria's richest bush sprint and a race Second Effort had won the previous year.

After finishing 14th of 15 in the Sebring Stakes at Rosehill, Clinton took Second Effort to Warrnambool in May for the Wangoom, got the wet track he loves, and he duly carried 58.5kg to a convincing win.

He has the same weight on Saturday and is primed to run big race.

"The stable is very confident," McDonald said.

"His work on Tuesday was absolutely sensational and despite what people think, he doesn't need a wet track to run well."

Second Effort will be confined to his home track for his current campaign with Saturday's race to be followed by the Bletchingly Stakes in two weeks followed by a repeat of last year's program in the Lawrence and then the Memsie.