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By Ray Hickson

Trainer Joe Pride is focusing on The Black Cloud’s potential, with some help from her pedigree, to give him confidence she’ll relish a heavy track at Randwick on Saturday.

Joe Pride (Pic: Steve Hart)

The promising filly returns to the scene of her impressive first-up win when she tackles the TAB Handicap (1000m) with an extra 3kg on her back from that 1-1/4 length win a fortnight ago.

Pride said most of the Shamus Award horses he’s had anything to do with have not let a wet track stop them and he feels The Black Cloud is also well above average.

“Shamus Award gives me confidence, most of his stock get through it well and she’s not a big filly,’’ he said.

“It remains to be seen if she’s going to be as good on heavy ground, she’s pretty fast but she’s got a bit of a ticker though. I don’t think it will bother her.

“I tend to find these lighter fillies skip across the ground. I think she will be fine in it but I don’t know.”

The Black Cloud, $3.50 with TAB on Thursday, enjoyed a nice run behind a solid temp and finished with a bit in hand to win first-up, recording her third win from four starts and Pride said it was an ideal start to the preparation.

She has a different scenario with a heavy track and a wide barrier, though the 1000m start is very forgiving, but she is a horse Pride has plenty of time for.

It’s likely she’ll head south for a race at Flemington for her next start.

“She’s exciting, isn’t she, she’s done so much in a short amount of time,’’ he said.

“She looks a real good prospect and a great horse to have up at this time of year.”

The Warwick Farm trainer has a strong hand in the Petaluma Handicap (1300m) with King Of The Castle, Estadio Mestalla and Excelladus engaged.

He warns none of the trio should be overlooked but is very interested to see how Estadio Mestalla backs up his big first-up fourth in the Takeover Target Stakes (1200m) last month.

On paper the gelding doesn’t have eye-catching second-up form and that’s something Pride is wary of so he’s taken steps to ensure that doesn’t come into play.

“I don’t think he’s done enough racing to be getting carried away with that,’’ he said.

“If you want to offset poor second-up form give them a decent gap between runs and give them a trial and he’s had that. I’ve seen it work too many times.

“It decreases the chance of you taking a horse that’s a bit flattened by a first-up run back to the races.

“He should go better because he’s not a 1200m horse, 1300m will suit him a lot better and a wet track is not a problem.”

Pride has been waiting for the wet tracks to arrive with Excelladus who drops 5kg on his second-up third behind Diamond Diesel two weeks ago.

“I was very happy with him, he’s a very good wet tracker. He’s right in that race,’’ he said.

“It’s a shame to be clashing them but at this time of year it’s inevitable."

The Black Cloud wins at Randwick on May 25

Of the trio, Pride said King Of The Castle is possible the least suited but was encouraged by the gelding’s resumption in the Listed Luskin Star (1300m) at Scone where he charged home to be beaten 2.4 lengths.

He’s yet to win below 1400m but it’s how heavy the track may get that concerns Pride the most.

“He’s probably the one that’s least suited on heavy ground, I know he won at Kembla on a heavy on Gong day but I do think he’s a better horse on a soft track,’’ he said.

Joe Pride on Principessa (Race 5): “She’s just looked like she wants ground as she gets older and she’ll get that in coming runs. In fillies and mares grade, a mile, on a wet track it is suitable with her.”

All the fields, form and replays for Saturday's Randwick meeting