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Racing

The Black Cloud out to break winning drought

After two close seconds to start her campaign, The Black Cloud is ready to peak third-up at Randwick.

THE BLACK CLOUD.
THE BLACK CLOUD. Picture: Martin King / Sportpix

Joe Pride is hoping his decision to wait an extra week with The Black Cloud pays dividends as the mare prepares to close out her four-year-old season with a win at Randwick.

The Black Cloud was scratched from last weekend's Schweppes Sprint (1100m) after she drew the outside gate in a competitive field and has come up with barrier four for the ATC Thank You Trainers Handicap (1100m) on Saturday.

With consecutive seconds to start her campaign, Pride is looking for her to get an overdue success on the board.

"She has been going well without winning and that has been a bit frustrating," Pride said.

"I want to make the next one count for her so I thought this race should be softer."

The Black Cloud won four of her first six starts but has been out of the winner's list since June last year.

However, she has been knocking on the door this campaign, beaten a length first-up behind World Alliance at Canterbury before being touched out late by Sixteen Rounds at Caulfield last month.

Pride says she had taken no ill effects from the travel and while she hasn't quite delivered on her early promise, he believes she still has something to offer.

"She probably hasn't quite gone on with it to be fair," he said.

"She won down at Flemington in the winter of last year, Jay (Ford) got off her and said she was a stakes horse every day of the week.

"He was riding In Flight at the time and he was convinced The Black Cloud was better but that's probably not the case anymore."

In Flight, who is currently spelling, made a similarly promising start to her career, stringing together a hat-trick of Sydney wins last winter and subsequently making a successful transition to black-type company, capturing stakes races at Randwick and Caulfield at her past two starts.

Pride has also accepted with Storm The Ramparts in the same race on Saturday, the gelding set to back up from his narrow second to Romeo's Choice in the Schweppes Sprint last weekend.


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