Horse Racing: Luberon ideal for Arctic conditions

WE may be in a new year, and within the grip of the coldest winter for decades, but one thing remains the same in racing – Mark Johnston is still banging in the winners.

After a record year for the Middleham handler in 2009, nothing has changed in the early days of 2010, with his handful of runners having all finished in the frame.

Johnston runs Luberon in the feature race at Lingfield tomorrow, the lingfieldpark.co.uk Handicap with over 10,000 to the winner.

Now a seven-year-old, he has been an old favourite at the yard for some time.

A very capable performer at his best, Luberon has won Group races in the past but like so many of Johnston's horses, the handicapper has taken his time to relent.

Do not be fooled into thinking he only ran twice last year, though, as he was running on the ice at St Moritz so the Arctic conditions will certainly be nothing new to him.