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By Ray Hickson

With a valuable stakes win already in the back pocket, trainer Joe Pride says talented mare The Black Cloud will go wherever there’s an opportunity for her record to be enhanced.

Trainer Joe Pride (Pic: Bradley Photos).

The Spelling At Coolmore Mt White Handicap (1000m) at Randwick on Saturday doesn’t carry any Listed status but Pride said it’s the right place to get her back to the races two months after her stakes breakthrough.

His original plan for The Black Cloud, $5 with TAB on Thursday, was to resume a couple of weeks ago in Melbourne but the likelihood of a hard track that day forced a rethink.

“I aborted the plans to take her to Melbourne and rescheduled to go here and gave her an extra trial,’’ Pride said.

“She’s been going great, I’m very happy with her, she’ll be extremely hard to beat.

“I’m keeping the option alive to travel her because she’s won in Melbourne and in Brisbane. This is a kick off point and we will take it from there.”

Nash Rawiller has the ride on The Black Cloud for the first time as usual jockey Jay Ford had already committed to another mount.

She’s a mare that had long promised Pride she’d make it to stakes level and did that with a Group 3 placing in The Warra before she beat subsequent Listed winner Way To The Stars in the Bribie Handicap (1000m) at Eagle Farm in mid-December.

In a race that promises to be truly run over the short course, Pride said she can only run well.

“Here she is in a Benchmark 100, loves the 1000m – she always races really well at 1000m – and obviously Nash is a good replacement so it sets up well for her,’’ he said.

“She can sit off the pace a bit and launch at the end, the only thing probably missing is I do like her on tracks with a little bit of sting out of them.

“But Randwick is racing pretty good at the moment.”

The five-year-old carries the same colours as 2023 TAB Everest winner Think About It who succumbed to colic earlier this week so it’d be an emotional win for all concerned if those colours fly high on Saturday.

Candlewick, the half-sister to 2020 Everest winner Classique Legend, has her third start for Pride in the Agency Real Estate Handicap (1300m) having recorded two thirds for her new trainer.

Though she had her chance when placed behind Super Norwest two weeks ago Pride said there’s no reason to think she won’t be in the finish.

“I was happy with both her runs back so she’s been thereabouts and I would have thought third run she is ready to peak,’’ he said.

“No doubt she presented to win (last start), I think she might have just needed it so she has that run under her belt.”

Meanwhile, Pride is sending debutant Alabama Showdown to Kembla Grange on Saturday and rates the three-year-old as a horse to keep an eye on.

He’ll go into the Complete Warehouse Solutions Handicap (1000m) on the back of two trials and while the trainer isn’t predicting a first-up win he says he wouldn’t be surprised.

“He’s a nice horse who has trialled up well, he’s got a bit of quality about him. I think he is going to make a horse in time,’’ he said.

The Black Cloud wins at Eagle Farm in December

“It’s a lot for a horse to take in at his first start to come out and win.

“To me he trialled like a horse who could potentially do that but more importantly I want him to just run well and go from there.”

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