RACING Janama Picked For Dunedin Steeples

Press, Volume XCIX, Issue 29228, 11 June 1960, Page 6

RACING Janama Picked For Dunedin Steeples

Janama may be the best of a moderate lot in the Dunedin Steeplechase, the feature «event on the last day of the Dunedin Jockey Club’s winter meeting at Wingatui today.

The race has attracted only nine starters, and Janama has beaten most of them.

Janama has a consistent record as a jumper in the south this season and from eight starts has been unplaced only once. He has won three times for his Invercargill trainer, T. E. Pankhurst.

Janama beat fields comparable to the Dunedin Steeplechase one twice over the Riverion country at Easter, and won earlier at the Birchwood Hunt meeting in Invercargill.

Last week, Janama ran second to Arctic Sun in the Otago Steeples. Janama was well beaten, but he beat the others just as easily and Arctic Sun is not in today's field. Two Otago Steeplechase runners in today's field are Delarmo and King's Lace. King's Lace was just plodding about the middle of the field all the way, but Delarmo made a late run for fourth.

Delarmo and Shootalong, a place-getter on the first day and a winner on the second, are the only runners besides Janama with form at the meeting.

Delarmo will meet Janama on 51b better terms, but that may not be enough to tip the balance his way. Shootalong will be much harder to beat if form is any guide. No Offence beat him easily in the hack steeplechase on the first day. but Shootalong beat six others in the Roslyn Hack and Hunters' Steeplechase on Mondav by 15 lengths. He carried 9-6 in that race and now has 61b less over the same distance. Janama will have to concede him 121 b. •

The other five runners have little appeal Chief Cashier may be the best. He was a safelyheld second to Janama on the second day at the Riverton Easter meeting and fell when handy with half a mile to run on the third day. Janama will meet him on 81b worse terms this time but should beat him again. He has the advantage of recent racing < and Chief Cashier has not started since April 19. Le Roi could also be a possibility. He won over this distance at Waimate a fortnight ago, but has failed twice at this meeting. In the Roslyn Steeplechase on Monday he lost his rider with a mile to go. Double Races The off-course double will be on the Queen Elizabeth and the Empire Handicaps. Irrepressible is the likely favourite for the second leg. The improving four-year-old ran away from the opposition over another furlong in the Winter Handicap on the first day last Saturday. The only others in the race with form at the meeting are Shangri-La and Black Star. Shangri-La was second to Irrepressible in the Winter Handicap, then outclassed the others in the Members’ Handicap on the second day. She was weighted at 9-0 in the Winter Handicap and 9-3 in the Members' Handicap, but will carry 9-11 today. Irrepressible has gone up from 8-6 to 9-0, so he will meet Shangri-La on 31b better terms. Irrepressible is a mare by Timanova-lmpeecable owned by Mrs T. K. S. Sidev and trained by D. P. Wilson. From 11 starts this season she has won twice and been placed four times. The most likely runners to test her and Shangri-La appear to be Marsana and Black Star. Black Star was a distant third to Shangri-La on Monday, and Marsana was a creditable fifth in the Members’ Handicap.

Marsana will also contest the Queen Elizabeth Handicap, for which the strong favourite is Ravelston. the winner of his last five races. Other form runners in the race are Cashmere, Peril and Mary Dee.

There will be an on-course double on the Tainur Hack Handicap and the Electric Stakes. The weather was fine in Dunedin yesterday, but the track will be heavy.