WALTER SWINBURN was yesterday handed the chance to return to the Classic arena when he was booked to partner Tote Ebor winner Clerkenwell in the Pertemps St Leger at Doncaster tomorrow week.

The rider, who missed the first four Classics this year while he recovered from serious injury, will be bidding for his first victory in the big race, the only English Classic to elude him.

Swinburn has paced his comeback, as he steadily regains race fitness following six months on the sidelines. But he celebrated his first Group One success since his return when riding Pilsudski to victory in Germany last Sunday.

Like Pilsudski, Clerkenwell is trained by Michael Stoute, who is also seeking a first St Leger triumph.

But the progressive colt, who carried just 7st 11lb to victory at York, still has something to prove as he attempts to become the first horse this century to complete the Ebor-St Leger double.

The track issued the first going bulletin for the four-day meeting yesterday, reporting the ground to be good.