Balthazar King wins the Cross Country Balthazar King confimed his status as the current King of the cross-country scene by landing the Glenfarclas Chase at Cheltenham. The winner of two equivalent contests at this track in 2012 and a valuable similar contest in France this summer, Philip Hobbs' runner was sent off a warmly-backed 5/4 favourite to confim his maintain his warm run of form. Although there were a couple of brief scares in the race, including a howling blunder at the third fence, and the fact that he had to endure persistent harrying from Any Currency throughout the second half of the contest, Richard Johnson's mount looked well in control for much of the race. Having seen off Any Currency before the third-last fence, Uncle Junior (8/1) emerged as the challenger to Balthazar King on the run to the last, but the winner was not for passing and held on by a length with the gutsy Any Currency (25/1) third, ahead of Diamond Harry. Hobbs said: "He's a very accurate jumper and he tries very hard, although at the third today he hit it very hard and he nodded at one or two others so he wasn't foot perfect. "He just took off too far away and they were lucky to stay together. "This is the race he has a chance to win as its a conditions race, the others are handicaps. "He does have some options in France - not now, in the spring - and he may have a break." Of course Uncle Junior, who was bidding for his third win in-a-row in the race, finished best of the Irish in second, while Chicago Grey (15/2) was fifth under Davy Russell for Gordon Elliott. Enda Bolger's two representatives, Zest For Life and Quiscover Fontaine, finished eighth and ninth respectively, while Theroadtocroker finished one place ahead of them in seventh for Denis Murphy and Paul Gahan.
