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Balthazar King on target for cross-country tilt

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Balthazar King

Balthazar King claimed the cross-country crown in 2012 and 2014

  PICTURE: Mark Cranham 

 By Graham Dench 8:00AM 4 MAR 2016 

BALTHAZAR KING delighted Philip Hobbs and Richard Johnson in a schooling session at a local three-day event course and is firmly on course for a bid to regain the cross-country title he won narrowly at Cheltenham in 2012 and 2014 but did not defend last year.

There were fears the 12-year-old would not race again after he suffered broken ribs and a punctured lung in a fall at the Canal Turn in last year’s Crabbie’s Grand National. He spent six weeks at the University of Liverpool Equine Hospital but now appears to have made a full recovery and is a top-priced 13-2 with Coral for the Glenfarclas Cross Country Chase, which for the first time this year will be run as a conditions race.

Hobbs, who pointed out that Balthazar King is theoretically firmly favoured by the revised terms, as he would have had top weight in a handicap, said: “We took him to Pontispool, which is three-day event course near Taunton, and Richard said he was absolutely brilliant. We are all delighted with him, and it’s all systems go. We just want some better ground ideally.”

‘As good as ever’

Balthazar King returned to Hobbs in December, having been ridden at his owners since September, and his preparation has gone well, with no sign of any after effects of the Aintree fall. However, Hobbs retains one slight concern.

He explained: “His schooling and galloping are as good as ever, but he has got a slight indentation at the back of his ribcage, which might mean he has lost a little of his lung capacity.

“It’s very difficult to know until we race him. He’s obviously getting enough air in when he is galloping at home, but that’s very different to going three and three-quarter miles in a race.”

Unsettled forecast at Cheltenham

The going at Cheltenham has eased a shade since Sunday, when it was reported that the track was “good in places” on all three courses, and the forecast remains unsettled.

Clerk of the course Simon Claisse said: “We’ve had about 3mm or 4mm since the weekend, and it’s made a difference. It’s now good to soft on the Old course and also on the cross-country course. It’s good to soft, soft in places on the New course.

“The forecast is still unsettled with bits of pieces of rain over the next week amounting to about 7mm or 8mm.”

 

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