Epsom review

A review of the undercard from Epsom Downs on Oaks Day.
The A Team
Teej A (7/2) made the best of her way home to win the Betfred British EBF Woodcote Stakes for Karl Burke and Clifford Lee.
It was a rough start to the six furlong contest with favourite New Charter a notable sufferer but Teej A was quickly into stride and obtained a good position behind the early leaders. New Charter recovered to sit a little further back against the rail but was never able to get involved.
In contrast, Teej A picked up well while the pacesetters weakened and it was left to the outpaced Megalithic to give the winner most to do as the second stayed on strongly from off the pace without ever threatening to overhaul her. A length and a quarter and a length and three quarters were the winning distances with Tanager taking third at 22/1. Lee told ITV Racing: “She’s very quick, she jumps the gates lovely and I was in the right position, tracking the pace and she travelled very well into it.
“She’s done this quite nicely and she’ll learn and take a step forward from that.”
Syndicate owner Nick Bradley added: “I thought she was special after Chester.
“I thought Cliff gave her a great ride, didn’t panic, hit the front at the right time. If I could win anywhere it would be here on this day. I just love the atmosphere, it’s not too busy, everyone knows their racing, I just think it’s a really great meeting and they do a great job of looking after people.
“I don’t know (if Teej A will run at Royal Ascot). There’s a race in France the week before over six furlongs, I’ve got a filly in there already; maybe we could go Albany. I’ll have a think.”
Betfair Sportsbook make Teej A a 16/1 chance for the Albany Stakes at Royal Ascot next month.
The winning trainer added: “The great thing about her is since Chester she has grown up behind, I really noticed it in the paddock and she has another few inches to grow I think, so there is a bit of scope there for the future. I thought Clifford kicked on 100 yards quicker than he needed to and I thought she would get collared by Ralph’s horse in the last furlong, but to be fair to her she stuck to her guns and did it well. I was delighted with her and she was tough in the last 100 yards.
“I would be looking at races like the Cheveley Park later in the year and giving her a chance to really fulfil her potential.”
Temptation hard to resist
Dancing Magic was withdrawn ahead of the Trustatrader Handicap after unseating Rossa Ryan on the way to post leaving a field of 15 to face the starter over the extended mile. They served up a thrilling renewal with Two Tempting (12/1) just doing enough to keep the challenge of Beshtani at bay.
The well backed winner stole a march on his rivals under David Egan inside the final two but Beshtani and James Doyle had made inroads passing the one and continued to close on the five-year-old. It even appeared as though Beshtani may have hit the front yards from the line but Two Tempting forced his head back in front to earn the call after recourse to the judge.
Al Mubhir was back in third with Notre Elle Bete fourth while favourite Koy Koy hung on the cambers when challenging and didn’t appear to handle the track.
Egan admitted he got to the front sooner than ideal, saying: “I got there a week too soon. Mr Portman (trainer) told me not to get there too soon but we had a nice position and had the option of going up the inside and saving all the ground and I thought it was the right time to go and thankfully he actually found a bit more when the other horse came to me.”
Portman revealed he was anxious watching the race unfold, commenting: “He was exactly where I didn’t want him to be really! “I hate it when they come down the inside like that but he was handy – which we asked him to be – and then he just got a bit keen and I was worried that he would have no choice but to get there too soon. This horse has been in amazing form all season and this has been his year really. “It’s great for the yard. Everyone has worked very hard through all the rain during the winter. It’s great. This was the plan.” Hamad Al Jehani, a former champion trainer in Qatar, was delighted with Beshtani. He said: “It’s amazing to be here at Epsom, one of the best tracks in the world and for sure the hardest place . It was his first run for me and my first runner at Epsom, but I’m sure not my last. We felt he might not handle the ground very well so he surprised me how he challenged the winner to the line and be beaten just a small head I think. He ran very well and he’ll hopefully go to Royal Ascot next for the Hunt Cup.
“It’s amazing to be training here in England and challenging the best trainers in the world.”
Paddy Power cut Beshtani to 16/1 from 50/1 for the Royal Hunt Cup at Royal Ascot.
Bolster makes all
Bolster (5/1) made every yard in the hands of Pierre-Louis Jamin in the Betfred Nifty 50 Handicap. They had Sweet Reward for company in the early exchanges but left that rival trailing in their wake in the straight. Haunted Dream, who stumbled leaving stalls, came down the outside to give chase but he was passed by Paradias who stayed on stoutly to finish second with Derry Lad coming from a long way back to finish third.
Bolster was completing a double for Burke and is now two from two after joining the yard from the Crisfords.
Jamin said: “My first winner on Derby weekend, it’s great. “Karl gave me a free hand. He said you can either make it or sit right behind the leaders and I thought I can make my own pace and if he’s good enough he’ll go and do it.” Burke, who has now passed £1million in prize money for the season, added: “He joined us from Simon Crisford’s last year. He’s obviously a horse with a lot of potential, he won his first two races for Simon very, very well and I presume he got injured; he came to us on the back of a couple of operations on his front joints and we just had to take our time with him and he’s done nothing wrong. He’s obviously a high class horse.
“To come to this meeting and to have two winners is brilliant. Pierre gave him a great ride. I was a bit worried tactically, we wanted to go forward but the horses drawn 1 and 2 were both front runners. I said to Pierre down the side you’ve got to make it a flat out pace and if they leave you alone in front which happened, I don’t know why they didn’t go forward but obviously they had different tactics, so that worked well.”