Balthazar King to leave hospital this month

Trainer Philip Hobbs has insisted that Balthazar King remains on the road to recovery after his fall at the Grand National last month.

Several broken ribs have resulted in the horse remaining at the University of Liverpool Equine Hospital for almost four weeks, but Hobbs has revealed that his extended stay is a precaution ahead of a long trip back to his stables in Hampshire.

On his Facebook page, Hobbs said: "Balthazar King is really good and everything is fine.

"He will make the journey to his home in about 10 days as we just wanted to make sure he is ready for the trip back to Hampshire."

It is currently unknown whether the 11-year-old will be able to return to racing.