Singapore Champion Three-Year-old of his year Countofmontecristo (NZ) (Echoes of Heaven) will be looking to add a Kranji Mile (1600m) victory to his illustrious career.
The New Zealand-bred gelding has finished runner-up in the glamour mile previously and trainer Michael Clements has been targeting the race this year with the son of Echoes of Heaven.
Originally scheduled to take place on May 23, the race was postponed to August `6 after a COVID-19 enforced shutdown in Singapore.
He will kick-off his preparation in the Saturday’s $100,000 Class 1 race over 1200m on Polytrack.
“The trip is a touch on the short side for him these days as he is getting old now,” Clements said. “But he did well on the track and distance previously. He should be okay.
“Besides, he’s shown at his recent races he’s better off ridden off the pace. Even when he is outpaced, it’s okay, he proved he had a good style of racing from quite a way back.
“As he’s running in the same sort of class, I expect a similar run this Saturday. If there is blistering speed upfront, he should be sharp and fresh enough to sit just behind the leaders.”
