Balthazar King (IRE) 10-10-13
Breeding: b g King's Theatre (IRE) - Afdala (IRE) (Hernando (FR))
Breeder: Sunnyhill Stud
Born: February 12, 2004
Owner: The Brushmakers
Trainer: Philip Hobbs
Form: 6/01436422/F211242F06/1142511P/15P001/120P-1111
Balthazar King
*Set to make second appearance in the Crabbie's Grand National after finishing 15th behind Auroras Encore in 2013.
*Has won all four starts this season. Started his campaign with victory in a Listed cross-country chase at Craon, France, in September before a comfortable success in a handicap chase at Cheltenham in October. Followed up with two wins over Cheltenham's cross-country course, including a game short-head verdict in the Glenfarclas Handicap Chase at the Cheltenham Festival on March 12.
*Officially 9lb "well-in" at the weights, with his Cheltenham Festival success having come after the weights for the Crabbie's Grand National were revealed on February 11.
*With its unique obstacles, including Grand National-style fences, Cheltenham's cross-country course has proved a pointer to Crabbie's Grand National success in the past. Silver Birch was runner-up in the Glenfarclas Handicap Chase at the 2007 Cheltenham Festival before scoring at Aintree the following month.
Race Record: Starts; 41; 1st: 14; 2nd: 7; 3rd: 1; Win & Place prize money: £233,072
The Brushmakers
The Brushmakers is a Hampshire-based trio involving farmers David Rees, born in 1972, and Chris Butler, plus Geoffrey Stevenson, who runs the Imperial Bathroom Company in Birmingham and who Rees describes as 'an old rugby-playing friend of mine'. They take their name from the Brushmakers pub at Upham near Winchester, in which Rees once owned a stake. When he subsequently moved to the other side of Winchester, to the village of Hursley, he discovered his new local was the Kings Head, but being unimpressed with it he bought that too. He describes himself as an "arable farmer who also milks cows and keeps pigs and poultry - one of the few truly mixed farms in Hampshire". His interest in racing was derived through being a neighbour of the late trainer Bill Wightman, whose land Rees farmed. Wightman gave Rees a point-to-pointer and he has been involved in that sport ever since - one of his first buys was prolific winner Ball In The Net, and he also raced Upham Lord, who was subsequently sold to Lincolnshire-based Mike and Jill Dawson and in 2002 and again in 2003 became Britain's champion between the flags based on wins. Rees says: "I have subsequently been involved in five or six horses trained by Philip Hobbs, including Tamango, who fell at The Chair in the Topham Chase [in 2006]. We bought Balthazar King privately from Diana Whateley [also an owner with Hobbs]."
Crabbie's Grand National Record: 2013 Balthazar King (15th)
Philip Hobbs (Bilbrook, Somerset)
Born July 26, 1955 Background: Philip was brought up surrounded by horses. His father Tony Hobbs farmed, and had a permit to train for many years, breeding several good horses to run in the family colours. After school at Kings College, Taunton, Philip went on to Reading University and achieved a BSc honours degree. He rode at Hickstead, show jumping as a junior, and rode several point-to-point winners and winners under National Hunt rules as an amateur before turning professional at the age of 21. Partnered 160 winners in a 10-year career including The Black and White Gold Cup at Ascot, The Killiney Novice Chase and The Midlands Grand National on such good horses as West Tip and Artifice. Hobbs made four appearances in the Grand National as a professional jockey in the 1980s and, although one of the best horses he rode was West Tip, he didn't get the leg up on him in the National, with those four rides resulting in two falls, one ninth place and an 11th. He started training in August, 1985, with only six horses and was successful with his very first runner, North Yard at Exeter. He is now one of Britain's top jump trainers. Philip's wife Sarah, whom he married in 1982, is the daughter of Bertie Hill, who won a gold medal in three-day eventing at the 1956 Olympics at Stockholm. Achievements: has trained over 2,000 winners, including 18 at the Cheltenham Festival with two of them coming this year. Major Wins Include: BetVictor Queen Mother Champion Chase (2002 Flagship Uberalles), Stan James Champion Hurdle (2003 Rooster Booster).
Crabbie's Grand National record: 1990 Gallic Prince (13th); Joint Sovereignty (Fell 19th); 1995 Gold Cap (13th); 1998 Samlee (3rd); Greenhill Tare Away (UR 27th); 1999 Samlee (10th); Bells Life (PU bef 26th); Mudahim (UR 6th); 2000 Village King (Fell 20th); Stormy Passage (Fell 22nd); 2001 Village King (Fell 8th); 2002 What's Up Boys (2nd); 2004 What's Up Boys (BD 6th); 2005 Double Honour (UR 21st); 2007 Zabenz (PU bef 7th), Monkerhostin (Ref 7th); 2009 Zabenz (Fell 16th), Parsons Legacy (Fell 22nd); 2010 Dream Alliance (PU bef 24th); 2011 Quinz (PU 16th); 2012 Planet Of Sound (12th); 2013 Balthazar King (15th)
Breeding: b g King's Theatre (IRE) - Afdala (IRE) (Hernando (FR))
Breeder: Sunnyhill Stud
Born: February 12, 2004
Owner: The Brushmakers
Trainer: Philip Hobbs
Form: 6/01436422/F211242F06/1142511P/15P001/120P-1111
Balthazar King
*Set to make second appearance in the Crabbie's Grand National after finishing 15th behind Auroras Encore in 2013.
*Has won all four starts this season. Started his campaign with victory in a Listed cross-country chase at Craon, France, in September before a comfortable success in a handicap chase at Cheltenham in October. Followed up with two wins over Cheltenham's cross-country course, including a game short-head verdict in the Glenfarclas Handicap Chase at the Cheltenham Festival on March 12.
*Officially 9lb "well-in" at the weights, with his Cheltenham Festival success having come after the weights for the Crabbie's Grand National were revealed on February 11.
*With its unique obstacles, including Grand National-style fences, Cheltenham's cross-country course has proved a pointer to Crabbie's Grand National success in the past. Silver Birch was runner-up in the Glenfarclas Handicap Chase at the 2007 Cheltenham Festival before scoring at Aintree the following month.
Race Record: Starts; 41; 1st: 14; 2nd: 7; 3rd: 1; Win & Place prize money: £233,072
The Brushmakers
The Brushmakers is a Hampshire-based trio involving farmers David Rees, born in 1972, and Chris Butler, plus Geoffrey Stevenson, who runs the Imperial Bathroom Company in Birmingham and who Rees describes as 'an old rugby-playing friend of mine'. They take their name from the Brushmakers pub at Upham near Winchester, in which Rees once owned a stake. When he subsequently moved to the other side of Winchester, to the village of Hursley, he discovered his new local was the Kings Head, but being unimpressed with it he bought that too. He describes himself as an "arable farmer who also milks cows and keeps pigs and poultry - one of the few truly mixed farms in Hampshire". His interest in racing was derived through being a neighbour of the late trainer Bill Wightman, whose land Rees farmed. Wightman gave Rees a point-to-pointer and he has been involved in that sport ever since - one of his first buys was prolific winner Ball In The Net, and he also raced Upham Lord, who was subsequently sold to Lincolnshire-based Mike and Jill Dawson and in 2002 and again in 2003 became Britain's champion between the flags based on wins. Rees says: "I have subsequently been involved in five or six horses trained by Philip Hobbs, including Tamango, who fell at The Chair in the Topham Chase [in 2006]. We bought Balthazar King privately from Diana Whateley [also an owner with Hobbs]."
Crabbie's Grand National Record: 2013 Balthazar King (15th)
Philip Hobbs (Bilbrook, Somerset)
Born July 26, 1955 Background: Philip was brought up surrounded by horses. His father Tony Hobbs farmed, and had a permit to train for many years, breeding several good horses to run in the family colours. After school at Kings College, Taunton, Philip went on to Reading University and achieved a BSc honours degree. He rode at Hickstead, show jumping as a junior, and rode several point-to-point winners and winners under National Hunt rules as an amateur before turning professional at the age of 21. Partnered 160 winners in a 10-year career including The Black and White Gold Cup at Ascot, The Killiney Novice Chase and The Midlands Grand National on such good horses as West Tip and Artifice. Hobbs made four appearances in the Grand National as a professional jockey in the 1980s and, although one of the best horses he rode was West Tip, he didn't get the leg up on him in the National, with those four rides resulting in two falls, one ninth place and an 11th. He started training in August, 1985, with only six horses and was successful with his very first runner, North Yard at Exeter. He is now one of Britain's top jump trainers. Philip's wife Sarah, whom he married in 1982, is the daughter of Bertie Hill, who won a gold medal in three-day eventing at the 1956 Olympics at Stockholm. Achievements: has trained over 2,000 winners, including 18 at the Cheltenham Festival with two of them coming this year. Major Wins Include: BetVictor Queen Mother Champion Chase (2002 Flagship Uberalles), Stan James Champion Hurdle (2003 Rooster Booster).
Crabbie's Grand National record: 1990 Gallic Prince (13th); Joint Sovereignty (Fell 19th); 1995 Gold Cap (13th); 1998 Samlee (3rd); Greenhill Tare Away (UR 27th); 1999 Samlee (10th); Bells Life (PU bef 26th); Mudahim (UR 6th); 2000 Village King (Fell 20th); Stormy Passage (Fell 22nd); 2001 Village King (Fell 8th); 2002 What's Up Boys (2nd); 2004 What's Up Boys (BD 6th); 2005 Double Honour (UR 21st); 2007 Zabenz (PU bef 7th), Monkerhostin (Ref 7th); 2009 Zabenz (Fell 16th), Parsons Legacy (Fell 22nd); 2010 Dream Alliance (PU bef 24th); 2011 Quinz (PU 16th); 2012 Planet Of Sound (12th); 2013 Balthazar King (15th)
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