Confer And Khoringa G.N. Hurdles Fancies

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31075, 2 June 1966, Page 4

Confer And Khoringa G.N. Hurdles Fancies

“The Press” Special Service AUCKLAND.

The pace of Confer and Khoringa against the stamina of Silver Eagle, a slower beginner, seems the main issue with regard to the Great Northern Hurdles at Ellerslie on Saturday.

Few horses without real speed and jumping skill win the Great Northern. Those like Confer and Khoringa are nearly always hard to beat. If there is a further change in the weather and the going becomes very heavy, Confer will be the harder to catch. Along with Silver Eagle, he is one of the best mudlarks in the field. There Is a question on the other hand whether Khoringa is at his best in very soft ground. Confer was the runner-up behind Captain Rebel in the Waikato Hurdles on May 14 when he last raced. That was his fourth start after a spell through the summer. The other three were on the flat in a sprint at Whangarei, and middle distances on the same course and at Avondale and Te Rapa.

Daily Wins The peak of Confer’s form last season was at the Wellington winter meeting where he won over hurdles on each of the first three days, a wonderful achievement even allowing the moderate opposition. Confer came north to race at Avondale and Ellerslie in the spring but, jaded evidently by his exertions at Trentham, he failed to show further form. The rest over the summer months seemed to work wonders with Confer because he returned to racing in the autumn in excellent health. His appearance at Te Rapa indicated he was continuing to thrive. Confer is a seven-year-old, an age at which only two horses have won the Great Northern during the last 20 years. One was Nupla, in 1959, and the other Bramble Song, in 1946. Nupla carried 9-10 when successful and Confer has 9-1. Good Flat Farm Khoringa was sometimes fairly good in his flat racing and he has shown the same speed and promising stamina as well in the races he has had over fences, His last effort was one of his best and brought him an easy win over Silver Eagle, Macdonald and four others in the Seddon Hurdles on the third day of the Waikato winter meeting. The Seddon Hurdles is run over a mile and three-quarters as against the two and a half miles of the Great Northern. Nevertheless, it has proved a good guide to the big race at Ellerslie. One which won both races in the same year was Fend in 1960.

Khoringa led all the way in the Seddon Hurdles, jumping fast and galloping freely. It was the sort of performance one looks for in a Great Northern winner.

A six-year-old gelding, by Khorassan from Crystal Ring, Khoringa comes from A. McGregor’s stable at Te Rapa and he is to be ridden by J. H. Hely. McGregor, before turning his hand to training, was a successful rider over fences and he will know as well as any what it takes to win the Great Northern Hurdles.

Hely has been one of the country’s leading riders over fences for many years and he has won the Great Northern once already, on Nupla. The chances are that Khoringa will make the pace. Confer will probably run close at hand but unless Silver Eagle comes to light with much more early speed than is usual he will be well back for the first mile or so. Likes It Heavy If the ground becomes heavy Silver Eagle will be able td keep closer to the leaders and in that case he might stay well enough to win. Silver Eagle is racing solidly again and his last three starts brought in a second, a third and a fourth. The sec-

ond placing came in the Seddon Hurdles, when Khoringa beat him by a length. He finished third last time, in the Taupo Jumpers’ Flat at Rotorua.

An eight-year-old, from Matamata, Silver Eagle put on an impressive run of hurdling

from last winter to secure two firsts and two seconds in four starts. His wins were at Ellerslie and at Te Rapa and he finished second twice at Ellerslie.

Lucid was one which gave Silver Eagle stout opposition

last winter and he might be a tough opponent again this time. There is a doubt whether the top-weight Prettypeen, because of her setbacks lately, will be ready to last the two and a half miles at her best. A better chance is likely to be the Riverton visitor Macdonald. A five-year-old from the Hazlett-Hillis stable, Macdonald came north early last month with a background of impressive form on the flat and over fences. In the meantime he finished fourth in the Waikato Hurdles and third in the Seddon Hurdles. Slowness from the start had Macdonald in difficulties at Te Rapa. He will need to start quicker if he is to win the Great Northern. His task to give big starts to free gallopers like Confer and Khoringa would be tough indeed.