Cranbourne trainer Damien Williams remains optimistic that five-year-old Ferocia can make the grade at stakes level.Williams will give the Invincible Spirit gelding his third crack at a feature race in Saturday's Listed Monash Stakes (1100m) in the hope that he will have a fitness edge on a number of his key rivals."He has always worked good enough to be in this sort of race," Williams said."He is going in a fit horse compared to some of the others that are first-up and I'm happy to send him aro

Cranbourne trainer Damien Williams remains optimistic that five-year-old Ferocia can make the grade at stakes level.

Williams will give the Invincible Spirit gelding his third crack at a feature race in Saturday's Listed Monash Stakes (1100m) in the hope that he will have a fitness edge on a number of his key rivals.

"He has always worked good enough to be in this sort of race," Williams said.

"He is going in a fit horse compared to some of the others that are first-up and I'm happy to send him around."

Ferocia has won three and been placed in seven of his 18 starts and has twice before contested stakes races.

On Oaks Day at Flemington last year he finished fourth to Burdekin Blues in the Listed Grazia Ultimate Style Guide Stakes (1100m) and, according to Williams, with better luck would have run second.

He also contested this year's Group Two Australia Stakes (1200m) at Moonee Valley but was checked in running and finished last in the five-horse race won by Black Caviar.

"He is terribly weighted at weight-for-age on Saturday but probably deserves his chance in it," Williams said.

Ferocia has twice beaten Monash rival Keano while last Saturday he finished seventh in the Victorian Spring Series Final (1200m) at Flemington and beat home another Monash contender and Group Two winner Stanzout.

Ferocia has had four runs this campaign, including a first-up win at Sandown on May 26, and is $26 in the TAB Sportsbet market dominated by horses resuming from a spell.

Heading the chart is the Peter Moody-trained 2009 Blue Diamond Stakes winner Reward For Effort ($3.20) who hasn't started since being unplaced in the Golden Slipper Stakes in April that year.

South Australian Arinos ($5), who was beaten in a photo-finish in the Oakleigh Plate in the autumn, Berringama ($6.50) and Standish Handicap winner Royal Ida ($7) are also first-up.

Glen Boss, who thought he had broken his foot at Sandown on Wednesday, confirmed his fitness to ride Berringama with a winning double from two rides at Geelong on Thursday.

Boss booted home the Dale Sutton-trained three-year-old Selma Spur in the Chargold Project Management Handicap (1100m) and Tony Vasil's two-year-old debutant Intencion in the Lamby's Tavern Maiden (1000m).

"I actually thought I had broken a bone in my foot at Sandown but the X-rays were clear which was a relief," Boss, who was still limping on Thursday, said.

"When I'm on a horse and in the irons there is no problem which is good."