Clinton McDonald banking on a Second Regal Roller when swimmer turns out at Caulfield Trainer Clinton McDonald with Bletchingly Stakes winner Second Effort at the McDonald Racing stables at Caulfield. CLINTON McDonald describes his two best horses, a decade apart, as opportunists. Regal Roller, so good there is a race named in his honour at Caulfield on Saturday, was a pinch-hitter who beat Elvstroem, Makybe Diva, Alinghi and others in a winning spree in the early 2000s because he was a "fit, happy horse." Second Effort is a similar type, McDonald says, on a similar mission. They're just great, solid racehorses. Regal Roller won the Liston and Memsie and was just in the zone; a fit and happy horse who just continued to go through the stratosphere," McDonald said. Both Second Effort won the P.B. Lawrence Stakes last year because he was fitter and faster than his classy rivals and McDonald hopes to knock off Puissance de Lune in the same race on Saturday not because he is better, but fitter. In six weeks time they (the good horses) might pick us up and spank us but we've applied the same rationale as Regal Roller 10 years ago - aim at the early weight-for-age races and get them while we can. I reckon Puissance de Lune is a superstar, but I reckon we can beat him on Saturday. In the context of his own career, McDonald says there is a key difference in his two great opportunist horses. When humble home-bred Regal Roller bobbed up, McDonald was 28. He'd been training for just a year. "Back then I thought "how easy is this? I was too young to really appreciate it and use it to promote myself and my career," he said. Weekend Hussler came along not long after Regal Roller and, again, McDonald was spoiled. A decade of relentless hard work, with more toil than walk-in champions, has taught McDonald that the Regal Rollers and Second Efforts are rare treats. We've got a small stable of just 30 horses. Your realise with those numbers just how hard it is to find those horses," he said. There is no secret to such horses, just relentless routines, a keen eye and luck. Regal Roller was the son of a mare McDonald bought for just $18,000 and Second Effort cost his owners, including Melbourne Racing Club chief executive Brodie Arnhold, just $40,000. "He was an ugly ducking to be honest, but he just kept improving," McDonald said. Pinch-hitters tend to be horses for all seasons, all conditions. Regal Roller could scoot through the mud and Second Effort is a "duck." The Caulfield track was yesterday rated slow. "I'm getting a bit sick of praying for rain only for it to lob an hour after the race, so I'm going into this race happy to be surprised if the rain comes," McDonald said.