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By Ray Hickson

They say there’s a race for every horse and trainer Ray Hartley is quietly confident Star Of Kongo has found his at Grafton on Sunday.

While winless in 21 starts, seven of them for Hartley, the gelding has already been a bargain buy as the trainer’s son paid $700 online for him and he's so far returned over $13,500.

The Tamworth trainer said Star Of Kongo has proven to be a handful but his successive seconds going into the GM Accounting Maclean Handicap (1700m) suggest he’s turned the corner.

“He’s racing well at the moment, we had a lot of trouble with him when we first got him but he seems to have changed his mind about it all,’’ Hartley said.

“His main issue was he’d go into the barriers and reef his head down onto the ground and he’s been scratched at the barriers a couple of times because he did that.

“We’ve had a few issues pre-race with him, getting him worked on the tracks, because he plays a fair bit.

Star Of Kongo runs second at Grafton on July 6

“He’s a monster of a horse, he’s pushing 18 hands, and some people get a bit frightened of him because he’s so tall.”

Star Of Kongo finally showed Hartley some form when he ran second as a $101 chance over a mile at Tamworth on May 20.

He was scratched at the barriers from his planned next start at Inverell nine days later and went back to the trials twice before showing the improved run was no fluke with a gallant second at Grafton two weeks ago.

Hartley said that performance was encouraging given the wide barrier forced the hand of jockey Kacie Adams, who stays on board on Sunday, and a win would be just reward for all the work that's gone into the horse.

“He had to do a bit of work after he drew the outside gate,’’ he said.

“I think we’ve found a nice race for him. I think he’ll go on after he wins one too and he’ll get 2000m pretty easy.”

In stark contrast to Star Of Kongo, Hartley heads to Moree on Tuesday with lightly raced gelding Enniroc in the Nufarm Australia Handicap (950m).

The four-year-old has had three starts for the trainer for a win and two placings and he’s confident another strong showing is on the cards.

“He goes pretty well and I think he’s in the right race. He’s carrying a bit of weight but I don’t think that will worry him,’’ he said.

All the fields, form and replays for Sunday’s Grafton meeting