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By Adrian Sciglitano

Joe Pride says he’s confident talented mare The Black Cloud ($4.80 into $4.40 on TAB) can return to her best form at Royal Randwick on Saturday after a shot at the spring didn’t work.

The Warwick Farm trainer will saddle her up in the ATC Business Connect Sprint (1000m) with Pride holding the mare in high regard.

“She is a promising mare who is lightly raced with a good record,” Pride said.

The Black Cloud (Jay Ford) lands the money at Royal Randwick. Image by Bradley Photographers

“I think I tried to train her right through the winter into the spring [last preparation] and it just didn’t work.

“I gave her a couple of runs and I’ve given her a nice break and she looks like she has come back very strong.

“She has trialled ok this time around but she is never a horse that really indicates how well she has come back by her trials, but everything about her tells me she is on track and going well.”

Having settled in the first two in her past three starts, The Black Cloud will jump from barrier four and Pride suggests she isn’t a one-dimensional galloper who necessarily needs to be ridden for speed in her races.

“I’ll be happy to let a little bit of that speed go and she can sit in behind them.”

Later in the program Pride will launch a two-pronged attack in the Fujitsu Airstage Handicap (1600m) with Headley Grange ($2.80 into $2.40 favourite) and Aberlour ($11 into $9).

Headley Grange will be looking to notch up his third win in a row this preparation while Aberlour is expected to bounce back to form after she was well beaten last start at Rosehill Gardens.

“It’s a big step up in grade,” Pride said. “What I thought I might encounter in this race and it is the case, we are against a lot of stayers resuming and horses who aren’t going to be that sharp,” Pride said.

“With him [Headley Grange] having only 52.5kg on his back you can see why punters have swung his way quite hard.

“At the start of the prep if you said he was going to win a couple of Saturday races and end up in an open handicap with him, I would say that would surprise me.

“He has always been a very honest and consistent horse but he has really put it together this preparation and it’s a big jump up for him on Saturday, I don’t underestimate the task at hand but he is going particularly well.”

In her four Australian starts to date, former Kiwi mare Aberlour is yet to live up to her potential which included a Stakes win over a mile and although she was well beaten last start at Rosehill Gardens, Pride expects a much-improved performance on Saturday.

“She was going along terrific and I had her ready to go in the Wyong Belle of the Turf [December 31],” Pride said. “She got a temp and I trialled her and raced her the other day and she got really hot at Rosehill.

“I’m not saying she ran her race before she went out there but she burnt herself out. She needs to be rock hard fit with her racing pattern and she has got that run under her belt now and I expect her to be much better.”

Joe Pride on Cosmic Lad (Race 4-$12): “I’m not testing him out too much in trackwork but he has been a horse who sort of mixed his form in the past.

“He has shown glimpses which has warranted the stable at the time to run him in the Rosehill and Randwick Guineas so they obviously thought a lot of him as a three-year old.

“He hasn’t put it together; he is one from twelve now but I thought last start at Warwick Farm he was very good and we’re just looking to build on that and get him back into the winner’s circle. He is a nice horse.”

View final fields with full form & race replays for Royal Randwick here