Two Tempting refuses to be denied at Epsom

Thrilling battle with Beshtani goes to Portman runner.

Two Tempting was all guts in prevailing in the Trustatrader Handicap at Epsom for David Egan and Jonathan Portman.

The five-year-old was prominent early on when sticking to the inside rail, gaining momentum as the race progressed.

Sent off at 12-1, he looked to be powering home when the Hamad Al-Jehani-trained Beshtani gave chase under James Doyle, but after trading blows in the final strides it was Two Tempting who stuck his neck out to win by the narrowest of margins on the line.

Portman said: “I didn’t think he’d won, I was pretty sure we’d been chinned, but then I would have been delighted with second as I thought he’d run a blinder.

“Although this was the plan as he’d run well in this last year, expectations were less. But the jockey had him in the right place at the right time and it worked.

“I never put him in the Hunt Cup. I rang the owner up when the Hunt Cup was closing and asked him what he thought, but then I thought I wish I’d never rung him, what was I thinking! Maybe I should have put him in.

“There might be something at Goodwood.”

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