LORD Erskine is the ultimate example of Harry Rogers getting prolonged improvement out of his string, but Cleopatra’s Needle is certainly another getting better with age for the Co Louth-based trainer, and she saved a career-best for the €30,000 Tote Irish EBF Mares’ Handicap Hurdle.

Racing from 4lb out of the handicap wasn’t going to get in the way of the Nap Racing Syndicate’s seven-year-old, who took 18 attempts to open her account, but has now found the winning knack. She continued an excellent summer for 5lb-claimer Paddy O’Brien to cause a bit of an upset at 22/1.

Speaking after the decisive two-and-a-quarter-length success, Rogers said: “The people who own her love coming here and it’s great to have a winner here. She’s not a bad filly. That’s the first time that young chap has ridden for me. Garry Cribbin, his agent, put him on to me and you couldn’t ask for any better.

“I honestly thought she had a great chance, but I thought the ground might be gone on her, I thought it was gone a little bit on the slow side. In fairness she did it well, I don’t know whether she’d go on any softer than that, but she’s done it.”

Next stop Ebor

Not many horses are priced up as 7/2 favourite for the Ebor on the back of a maiden hurdle win at Galway, yet that is exactly the position that Willie Mullins’ Polish import Hipop De Loire finds himself in after an 11-length victory in the Tote-backed opener on day three.

A luckless fifth in the York highlight last year, he ended up being a class ahead of his rivals in this two-mile-six-furlong contest and made no mistake under Paul Townend to score readily from the front in the colours of Stawomir Pegza.

Mullins said of the 4/9 favourite: “It wasn’t the plan to make the running but the horse just took off and, jumping as slick as he did, Paul said he let him go as he was enjoying himself.

“His Ebor run last year was a hell of a run. Hopefully we can go back this year, get a bit more daylight and keep out of trouble. I think he’ll handle soft ground but this ground is very lively, maybe when he gets into softer ground it might be different.”

DECLAN Queally Jr said his eyes lit up when hearing that Bal Kauto (7/1) was getting into the two-mile-six-furlong Tote Handicap Hurdle as first reserve, and the reason why was apparent to all when the recent runaway Kilbeggan winner bolted up by five lengths for the Man About Dog Syndicate.

A 13lb rise for a 14-length victory last time was just about enough to get the previously-sidelined eight-year-old into this race, and he could have been called the likeliest winner from some way out.

Five lengths was the final margin between the son of a close relation to Kauto Star and Noel Kelly’s runner-up High Court Cave.

“The Shark [Hanlon] rang me this morning about his horse being a non-runner and I said ‘thank God!’” quipped the winning rider.

“It’s a big day and these are the meetings that you need to be having winners at. I got a dream run around. He’s a funny horse; when he grabs it he races with you and he gives everything. You have to keep him in a coma like a flat horse. He has a serious heart - he’s a great trier.

“He was off for two years with a leg injury; he broke down very badly. All the lads looked after him very well. My father looked after him very well - it was a long road but it was well worth it. He was in Fethard [Equine Hospital] for a long time and Ger Kelly said it was 50-50. We gave him the full two years. It’s been a long process, but it all worked out. He’s a lovely horse.”

Big win for Benson

The only other amateur to get on the scoresheet on Wednesday was Georgie Benson, who seized her opportunity in the Aga Khan colours for Johnny Murtagh on Edelak in the Download The Tote App Qualified Riders’ Maiden.

There had been a fair deal of promise in the 11/4 winner’s early runs, though his fifth on Irish Oaks weekend at the Curragh last time didn’t represent progression. A shrewd call from Murtagh to fit a first-time tongue-tie and blinkers helped contribute to a four-and-a-half length victory, with Benson making a definite move on the home turn that proved key.

“It’s special to ride around here, let alone ride a winner and to get these colours on is a big day. It’s my first winner at the festival and my second ride,” said Benson, who was having her second ride for Murtagh after riding out for the yard all summer.

“I actually ride this lad out a good bit. He was a bit disappointing in the Curragh a few weeks ago and I’d say he just thinks about things too much. Johnny said he was going to put him in here and worked him with blinkers during the week; he worked well.

“He travelled like a dream. I’d say he enjoyed the hustle and bustle of a big field. I didn’t think he’d win by that much, to be honest. I was hopeful he’d go out and run a big race but that was more than I expected.”

FORM figures of 21121121001 at Ballybrit tell you all you need to know about Teed Up’s love affair with Galway, and the Mee family’s teak-tough stayer overcame a serious scare when almost brought down to win the two-mile Tote Handicap by half a length.

Emmet Mullins was full of praise for the battle-hardened course regular, who did extremely well not to come down in an incident approaching the home bend that saw his rider Ronan Whelan handed a 10-day ban for careless riding.

It looked for much of the straight as though Joseph O’Brien was going to saddle the winner, if not the 1-2 through Shoda and Light Up The Dark, but the pair ended up being in front to be shot at, and Teed Up (7/1) was in no mood to be denied.

“A bit of drama, that’s Teed Up alright,” said Mullins.

“Ronan said he was never really quite happy and he was off it coming away from the stands. He said he switched in down the hill, trying to ignite him, but got knocked down. I thought the worst watching it and thought he was very lucky just to be in one piece coming away from the incident. He knows where the winning post is around here better than any. He’s a great horse to have in the Mees’ arsenal. A soldier is the right analogy for him, I think.”

Slattery on fire

Like Emmet Mullins, the Andy Slattery stable was off the mark for the festival on Monday night and doubled up for the week when Scott Key (18/1) brought up his second win of the season in what looked beforehand to be a competitive Tote Handicap for three-year-olds over the extended mile.

Competing off 10lb higher than a clearcut win at Gowran three starts earlier, the Pat Garvey-owned gelding, ridden by Ben Coen, appeared to relish the ease underfoot (going changed to soft after this race) and pulled out enough to beat Refreshment by a length.

Brian Slattery, representing the red-hot yard, said: “We were expecting a big run coming down. He went with the cut in the ground. We’ve always liked him at home and he’s always shown us plenty.

“Hopefully we can dream now of the Colm Quinn BMW Mile next year; hopefully he’ll be good enough to come back for that. He’s a good tough horse who is still learning and looks to be improving.”