Mare yet to be tested
Childs says Plenty Of Ammo’s potential ‘very exciting’
Plenty Of Ammo is exactly what jockey Jordan Childs feels the Symon Wilde-trained mare has under the hood.
The five-year-old has won three of four starts including the past two effortlessly by a combined nine lengths.
“I haven’t really had to put her under hard pressure yet and get to the bottom of her,” Childs said.
“She just does everything so nicely, jumps, travels and you feel like you’ve got lots of gears when you ask her to go and, even last start, I reckon I didn’t get out of second gear.
“She’s got plenty there, obviously you don’t know until you go out and do it and she’s got to keep stepping up if she wants to get to the top level, but she’s very exciting.
“I can’t wait until we get into a good race where she’s going to cop a bit of pressure and really see how good she is.”
Plenty Of Ammo is a $1.40 favourite with TAB for the 1600m Benchmark 70 on Boxing Day at Caulfield.
Lauding, trained by Ciaron Maher and David Eustace, is the only other runner in single figures at $4.80 with My Mate Sonny next best at $12.
Plenty Of Ammo paid $1.18 last start at Sandown, leading all the way to win the Benchmark 64.
The start prior at Ballarat the Rebel Raider mare settled wide behind the speed and bolted in.
Wilde tempted upping the ante on Boxing Day, with a nomination for the Listed Lord Stakes (1700m) also, but he went for the easier option to complete Plenty Of Ammo’s barrier re-education.
Plenty Of Ammo has had to have a lot of individual training to be comfortable in the stalls after she received a mighty fright in the gates as a young horse.
A wide draw in the Benchmark 70 was a major bonus with Plenty Of Ammo to be loaded last and having to spend the least amount of time in the gates.
“She’s still not probably over the hurdle of the barriers just yet,” Childs said. “Even though she’s been good the last two times I’ve ridden her, she probably needs one more good experience and hopefully we’re over that hurdle.
“She’ll find her own rhythm (in the race), she’s pretty versatile, I’ve ridden her back and ridden her forward, it’s just wherever she lands on the day.”