Private Eye stands as Joe Pride’s top contender at Doomben with his multiple Group 1 successes, but the handler sees The Black Cloud as a strong secondary option from the stable.

The durable Private Eye contests the $1.5 million Doomben 10,000 (1200m), joined by The Black Cloud heading north for the Listed Magic Millions Bright Shadow (1110m) supporting event.

Doomben presents a new challenge for the mare, yet her history with away meetings indicates she adapts well and often shines.

“She has travelled really well in the past. She’s won at Flemington, she’s won at Eagle Farm, she has placed at Caulfield,” the Sydney-based Pride said.

“Whenever I’ve travelled her away she has always raced well.”

The Black Cloud has notched five wins across 19 starts, four of which were on rain-affected going.

Doomben appeared soft midweek and likely to stay with some yield, but according to Pride, conditions alone won’t decide her fate.

“And being fresh. Fresh, short-course, bit of a wet track,” he said.

“She has got all those things in her favour. She seems to race best like that.”

A December stakes score at Eagle Farm sees The Black Cloud teamed again with Nash Rawiller, drawn perfectly in barrier one.

Rested since running a length-plus behind Marhoona in March’s Group 1 Galaxy (1100m), the mare drops markedly in class for the Bright Shadow even with added impost.

“It’s good form for a Listed race in Brisbane, so she lines up well in this,” Pride said.

Private Eye has been in fine fettle for Pride since his resuming third to fellow stable runner Mazu in the Hall Mark Stakes (1200m) King’s Secret on April 18, and the trainer anticipates another gritty effort in the Doomben 10,000.

“I couldn’t be happier with him. It’s a Group One race, they’re never easy, but he’s in great shape,” Pride said.

For the best betting markets for the race, visit leading Australian platforms ahead of Doomben action.

Ian Sangalang (with ball) and the Hotshots live to fight another day. —MARLO CUETO

The moment the PBA Commissioner’s Cup race heated up, teams battled hard to make sure they would tab one of the four quarterfinal slots with twice-to-beat protection.

Look how that has turned out so far.

NLEx worked its way to the top seed, while Meralco fought hard enough to cling to the fourth spot, only to see No. 8 TNT and No. 5 Magnolia force them to fish out their twice-to-beat card with a gritty survival win at Ninoy Aquino Stadium last Wednesday.

It’s something that will burden the minds of Rain or Shine and Barangay Ginebra.

The two squads enter the second day of the quarterfinal phase also armed with playoff protection and they are hoping they won’t need it.

Because Elasto Painters coach Yeng Guiao knows one thing about the twice-to-beat advantage.

“If it reaches the second game, the pressure will [shift to] us,” he said.

It will certainly be on the Road Warriors and the Bolts after stinging defeats last Wednesday.

Magnolia erased Meralco’s bonus with a 95-89 victory behind Clint Chapman.

“We just extended our lives,” Magnolia coach LA Tenorio said after forcing a rubber match.

TNT followed with a tense 96-93 win over top-seeded NLEx despite a furious Road Warriors comeback.

Cautionary examples

The Tropang 5G will carry a huge advantage into the knockout match as they will have Bol Bol, the enigmatic import who is the closest there is to a sure bucket. He had 24 points and 14 rebounds, while Calvin Oftana, Roger Pogoy and Jayson Castro all scored in double figures for the Tropang 5G.

NLEx did its best to end things on Wednesday, but a late rally fell short following star guard Robert Bolick’s disqualification on fouls.

“It’s a big factor that Bolick wasn’t there in the endgame,” TNT coach Chot Reyes said.

The first two matches will serve as cautionary examples for Rain or Shine and Ginebra, who understand that the teams they are facing are not true underdogs.

“If you look at the teams at the bottom four, any one of them could have been in the top four,” Guiao said.

San Miguel Beer certainly fits that bill. Slowed by import woes early in the conference, the Beermen have bounced back with Benny Boatwright returning to the fold.

San Miguel also owns one of the deepest local talents in the league, something that makes Guiao thankful that they at least have an advantage with a shorter path to the quarterfinals.

“It’s a big thing that we [have a] twice-to-beat [advantage],” Guiao said. “At least we have [an extra] chance to beat them.”

But he’s still hoping he doesn’t have to use it.

Jason Kelce’s wife, Kylie, shared her thoughts on her daughters’ future relationships, and according to her, dating any Cowboys fans is totally off the list. On Thursday’s episode of “Not Gonna Lie” podcast, Kylie replied to a fan’s comment asking if she would allow her daughters to date anyone from Dallas or Texas.

“I’m going to be honest, this thought has not crossed my mind. Why? I’m hoping that I’ve raised my children better than that,” Kylie said. “I’m sure there are people from Dallas, Texas, who are not Dallas fans, so I would consider that a possibility.”

Kylie said she “genuinely cannot wrap” her head around the idea of her kids someday introducing their significant other as a Cowboys fan.

“Who’s going to have a bigger problem with this, Jason or me,” she said. “It’s me. Jason will be the person that’s like, ‘You know what? He seems like a good guy. They seem like great person.’ I don’t give a fu*k. I’m hopeful that we have raised our children with an appropriate degree of disdain for the Dallas Cowboys.” [12:14]

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Kylie’s statement came two days after she was awarded the Webby Award for best podcast of the year. She attended the ceremony in an all-white outfit worth $5,100 at Cipriani Wall Street. The podcast host later went viral for her award-winning speech, which was short but highly meaningful.

Giving a shout-out to the Eagles community, she said:

“Women supporting women. Go Birds.”

Kylie Kelce wants daughters not to have a silver spoon

Kylie Kelce’s daughters would be getting no silver spoons from their parents. Not because they aren’t worthy, but to make them better humans. Kylie shed more detail on her decision during the March 25 episode of the “Conversations With Cam” podcast.

“I want them to, quite frankly, not be a**holes,” she said. “Of course, I want them to be good people, and I think that some degree of—I can’t even say it’s adversity. But like some degree of not having the silver spoon—needs to happen. And yeah, I think about it all the time.”

Jason and Kylie Kelce have daughters: Wyatt Elizabeth, Elliotte Ray, Bennett Llewellyn and Finnley Anne. Kylie wishes to be an ideal role model for them. That’s also the reason why her parenting style has been well-balanced. In fact, Kylie recently admitted to never getting face Botox done so that her daughters can feel pride in their natural skin and self.