Isio continues Henderson's Midas touch

Nicky Henderson’s amazing run of Saturday specials shows no sign of ending after Isio struck under Barry Geraghty to take the inaugural running of the £100,000 (€148,600) Vodafone Gold Cup at Newbury yesterday.

Fondmort, Geos, Iris Royal, Marlborough and this gelding have all taken valuable weekend prizes for the stable this season.

The eight-year-old, who defeated Azertyuiop over two miles at Ascot in January, showed an extra half-mile held no terrors for him as he powered to victory.

Always up with the leaders, Isio (11-2) swept into the lead on the run to the second-last fence under Barry Geraghty and galloped on strongly to beat Turgeonev (20-1) by four lengths. Seebald (25-1) was a further six lengths away in third.

Despite this being just the 67th winner of the season for the stable, Henderson is now only £25,000 (€37,200) short of the million-pound prize-money mark, a statistic which reflects the big-race victories he has been achieving.

“I wish Cheltenham would run all of their races on a Saturday,” beamed Henderson.

“We needed to find out if he stayed this sort of trip as it gives us so many more options. This race slotted in so nicely.

“What I must say is how sorry I feel for Mick (Fitzgerald). He goes for X-rays on Thursday. Hopefully he will ride out for us this week and he might even be back by next weekend.

“He feels great and he is getting sick of waiting to come back. Horses that he has done all the work with are winning, like this one – he has made this horse.”

Plans for Isio are not set in stone, with Henderson preferring the Cathcart of the possible options at the Cheltenham Festival.

Geraghty was impressed with the performance. “That was a very good run,” said the rider. “He has won over two miles and over two and a half. He was handy all the way. We went on going to the second-last and he kept on going. He’ll get three miles. He’s as tough as nails.”

Well-backed favourite Exit Swinger was never travelling and beat only one rival home and Irish hope Risk Accessor had his chance ruined by a terrible mistake in the early stages.

Midland Flame showed his liking for good ground and confirmed the suspicion of connections that he is a ‘spring horse’ as he turned in a dominating performance to win the three-mile Vodafone Handicap Chase.

Jim Culloty always had the 7-1 winner in the first two and although briefly headed in the home straight by persistent challenger Lord Of The River, Midland Flame – who had jumped splendidly most of the way – pulled out more to get home by two and a half lengths.

Terry Biddlecombe, the husband of winning trainer Henrietta Knight, was delighted to see the nine-year-old return to form.

“He showed last year when he won at Aintree that he likes top of the ground and he might go back there next. He is in at Cheltenham in the Kim Muir but it could be a bit soon,” he said.

“In fact I think he could be a National horse next year. He jumps well and keeps a bit back for himself, which isn’t a bad thing in that race.”

Talbot Lad showed once again that the betting market is not always right as he drifted considerably in the ring before taking the opener.

Having opened at 9-4, he slipped out to a starting price of 7-2 in the Vodafone Novices’ Handicap Chase.

But his supporters were always feeling on good terms as the Steve Brookshaw-trained winner, second to the much-improved Venn Ottery last time out, always travelled well before finding enough on the run-in to outpoint Motcomb Jam by a length and a quarter.

“We were probably unlucky to come up against Venn Ottery last time, but we were giving him a stone so maybe it wasn’t such a bad performance,” said Brookshaw

The betting got it right in the following Vodafone Handicap Hurdle when Fundamental landed a minor touch under Liam Cooper, having been dropped back to two miles after getting tired when winning over two and a half on his previous start.

Cooper adopted front-running tactics on the well-supported 6-1 chance and soon went well clear.

Turning for home, only Tony McCoy on 14-1 shot Gone Far was able to come out of the pack to throw down a challenge, but Fundamental had enough up his sleeve to hold the challenge by four lengths.

“He is a three-parts brother to Intersky Falcon and John Ferneley, and he has plenty of speed,” said winning owner David Green, although there are no great plans for the gelding.

Whitford Don (18-1) got up under Ruby Walsh in a thrilling finish to the Vodafone National Hunt Novices’ Hurdle.

Wakeup Smiling was another surprise winner in the Vodafone Novices’ Handicap Hurdle when obliging at 25-1 under Barry Fenton.