WALTER SWINBURN is certain to get a rousing reception when he returns to the Curragh today to ride Pilsudski for Michael Stoute in the Royal Whip and Blomberg for James Fanshawe in the Desmond Stakes.

Swinburn, who staged a triumphant comeback at Windsor last Monday following his horrific accident six months ago at Hong Kong's Sha Tin racecourse, last rode a winner in Ireland at Leopardstown just over a year ago. I'm looking forward to riding back in Ireland I always do," he said yesterday. I was brought up in Ireland and went to school there.

Pilsudski disappointed in the Group Two Prince Of Wales's Stakes at Royal Ascot for which he started favourite. Indeed, Tamayaz who finished third, was two lengths adrift of Pilsudski in the Group Three Brigadier Gerard Stakes over 10 furlongs in May, so one can only assume that Michael Stoute's charge had an off day or was not suited to the much faster ground.

Hamdan Al Maktoum's Murajja is another challenger for today's Group Three. The Lambourn trained four year old last won at Newbury in May when in a 10 furlong stakes race he gamely held the challenge of the year older Kings Theatre who was second in the Epsom and Irish Derbys and is now making his seasonal debut. Murajja is not as highly rated as Pilsudski however.

Successful with Shemaran in last year's race. John Oxx runs the lightly raced Predappio who ran Idris to three parts on a length in the Group Three Meld Stakes over this course and distance last time out.

Ulster Harp Derby winner I'm Supposin has the beating of Fill The Bill on recent Leopardstown running. John Murtagh rides Murajja while Michael Kinane comes in for the mount on Sheikh Mohammed's Predappio. If anywhere near his best, Pilsudski should finish there or thereabouts.

As regards the Group Three Ridgewood Pearl Desmond Stakes, Swinburn's mount Blomberg has not run since finishing last under his 7lb penalty and on the unfavoured far side in the Royal Hunt Cup. His prospects today are best gauged by his easy success in a Group Three over an extended mile at the Epsom Derby meeting where he relegated last year's Desmond Stakes winner, Mr Martini, to third place.

Super game Idris has won five of his nine races this term most recently in the Meld Stakes. This mile will probably suit Jim Bolger's charge better. Theano, third behind Dance Design in the Pretty Polly Stakes over this course, should run a big race but Blomberg is taken as the danger to Idris.