Plenty Of Ammo wins Group 2 Crystal Mile at The Valley

Plenty Of Ammo has more than made up for lost time with a powerful Group 2 Crystal Mile victory at only career start number seven.

Plenty Of Ammo has more than made up for lost time with a powerful Group 2 Crystal Mile victory at only career start number seven.

The lightly-raced six-year-old mare, trained by Symon Wilde, gunned down leader Royal Champion over the concluding stages of the 1600m feature.

The strength of the performance has Wilde and assistant trainer Liam Hoy in a wonderful position seven days out from the Melbourne Cup Carnival with Group 1 options to consider.

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The Empire Rose Stakes on Saturday must be a tempting target for the former barrier rogue mare.

“We’ll get to Flemington,” Hoy said.

“Whether it’s next week or the week after… we’ll put the horse first.”

Plenty Of Ammo returned $4 with Ladbrokes in what turned out to be a messy finish.

Champion jockey Blake Shinn got jammed up on the fence going for a rails run on Light Infantry Man, who knuckled after being squeezed by Von Hawke.

Von Hawke then pin-balled into Poison Chalice.

Nugget and Von Hauke rounded out the top four.

A protest, fifth versus fourth, for interference inside the last 100m was dismissed.

Plenty Of Ammo avoided the traffic jam and recorded a deserved Group 2 success.

Plenty Of Ammo over the top in the Crystal Mile! 🔫@JChilds47@wilde_racingpic.twitter.com/hELqmUgHNa

— 7HorseRacing 🐎 (@7horseracing) October 26, 2024

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“She had stakes quality all the way through,” Hoy said.

“It was always going to be a challenge to iron out all the creases… just really proud of the horse and a really good team effort, to be a Group 2 winner at start seven, fantastic.”

Jockey Jordan Childs timed the run perfectly despite not everything going to plan.

“I was probably a pair further back than I wanted to be,” Childs said.

“She just took a little bit to wind up, first time around The Valley, but once she balanced up in the straight she was really good through the line.”

Plenty Of Ammo is an $8 chance with Ladbrokes for the Empire Rose on Saturday behind Orchestral ($4.50), Atishu ($5) and Amelia’s Jewel ($6).

Plenty Of Ammo over the top in the Crystal Mile! 🔫@JChilds47@wilde_racingpic.twitter.com/hELqmUgHNa

— 7HorseRacing 🐎 (@7horseracing) October 26, 2024

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MARKET DOUBLES UP FOR HAYES CLAN

Double Market surges away with the Fillies Classic! @lindsayparkrace are on fire at The Valley with an early double! pic.twitter.com/4w3eFpGhx5

— 7HorseRacing 🐎 (@7horseracing) October 26, 2024

Taking the tough option brought a huge dividend for the Lindsay Park camp in the Group 2 Moonee Valley Fillies’ Classic (1600m).

Trainers Ben, JD and Will Hayes had the choice of running Double Market ($6.50) in the $300,000 contest or a race at Ballarat for a fraction of that prizemoney for the smart debut winner.

The stable went with the richer option with the filly, who coped with a significant class rise when beating the more experienced Cavity Bay ($5).

“We kept a close eye on her, and with guidance, we were told that this race looked very suitable and that’s exactly how it panned out today,” WIll Hayes said.

Hayes said Double Market could progress to next month’s Group 1 Thousand Guineas at Caulfield.

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SURROUND SOUNDS GOOD FOR CERTAIN RISE

Star jockey Blake Shinn believes exiting Yulong filly Certain Rise can measure up to Group 1 class, pinpointing the Surround Stakes (1400m) at Randwick in March as a possible future target.

Certain Rise, who cost $400,000 at last year’s Inglis Easter Yearling Sales, was a dominant winner of the listed Crockett Stakes (1200m) for trainers Mike Moroney and Glen Thompson.

Yulong’s founder Yuesheng Zhang was on track to see his Written Tycoon filly ($2.50) salute by three-quarters of a length from Zoubaby ($8.50), with Supercilious ($6.50) in third place.

"Certain Rise, a nice filly." ✅@YulongInvest have got another talented filly on their hands. 👏@BallymoreStablspic.twitter.com/HnKutHVEVm

— 7HorseRacing 🐎 (@7horseracing) October 26, 2024

“I’m not ruling out (that) she could be competitive in the Surround (Stakes),” Shinn said.

“She gives me the impression she could run seven furlongs. She’s quite advanced for an early three-year-old.

“I know Chris Waller’ s got a strong hand with some good fillies but this filly might be up to the task (in a Surround Stakes).”

Thompson said the stable was unsure about Certain Rise’s next start, but a race at Flemington could yet be on the horizon.

Originally published as Plenty Of Ammo wins Group 2 Crystal Mile at The Valley