Withhold on the comeback trail with Charlton eyeing Saturday return

Roger Charlton is keeping everything crossed as he prepares to take the wraps off Withhold in Saturday's Marsh Cup at Newbury, with the smart stayer set for his first start since bursting a blood vessel in Australia last October.

A leading fancy for the Melbourne Cup until disaster struck in his prep race at Geelong, Withhold had been due to return in the Northumberland Plate at the end of last month before a late problem.

"Barring any setbacks he's destined to run on Saturday," said Charlton. "He's got a history of breaking blood vessels so we're constantly keeping an eye on his lungs and a few days before Newcastle a scope revealed some mucus but also some bacteria.

"It wasn't that serious but, had we run, we were probably inviting the horse to bleed."

Owned by Tony Bloom, Withhold is a Cesarewitch and Northumberland Plate winner.

Charton admits the threat of him bleeding again is ever-present, but the build-up to Saturday's 2m½f handicap has gone well.

"The recent [health] check was very good," said the trainer. "We've been hugely cautious with him and he's turned out every day. We're very conscious of what we're doing because I think he's worth making the effort over.

"The bit I don't know is how fit he is because, if there's a thin piece of ice, you don't want to break through before we get to the races. We've got him as fit as we can but it hasn't been easy with the firm ground."

He added: "I'm sure whatever he does on Saturday he will improve for the race and we'll see how he runs and then decide what the next step is. He's in the Ebor but is he a one-mile-six-furlong horse when he won a Cesarewitch? I'm hoping he runs well on Saturday."

Withhold's presence at the top of the weights means improving three-year-old Moon King, who has improved 30lb with five straight wins this season, would have to compete from out of the handicap on Saturday and is not a certain starter.

"It depends on how the weights pan out and it's undecided at the moment if he runs," said Moon King's trainer Ralph Beckett on Wednesday.

"He was a very immature two-year-old and was always going to get this sort of distance – it's been a combination of him maturing and stepping up in trip really. The Cesarewitch has occurred to us down the line."

For the freshest betting advice, based on latest going and market conditions, don't miss the Live Tipster every afternoon. Just click Raceday Live at racingpost.com or the mobile app