Countofmontecristo stays unbeaten

His jockey, Glen Boss, had said that "they have turned him from a horse into a beast".

It was a strong statement coming from a three-time Melbourne Cup-winning rider, who had ridden the horse in two of his three wins and noticed his vast improvement rate.

So, it was no surprise that the unbeaten COUNTOFMONTECRISTO proved his class again in yesterday's $250,000 Group 3 Singapore Three-Year-Old Sprint over 1,200m, the first leg of the Singapore Three-Year-Old Challenge.

Despite drawing the widest gate, Boss steered the $16 second favourite to track the leader Macarthur. At the top of the straight, Countofmontecristo kicked to the front and stayed ahead to beat Macarthur by a three-quarter length to make it four wins from four starts for his owner, Joe Giovanni.

Winning trainer Michael Clements knew Countofmontecristo was the best horse when it turned for home and stayed on well.

"Definitely, the plan is obviously to go on to the second and third legs of the 3YO series," said Clements.

The second leg, the Group 2 Singapore Three-Year-Old Classic over 1,400m, is on April 14 and the final leg, the Group 1 Singapore Guineas over 1,600m, is on May 14.