KEMPTON'S new all-weather track faces its first serious test this afternoon with a handful of potential Classic candidates contesting the two Listed races on the card.

None of the current leading contenders for the 2,000 Guineas are engaged in the £28,000 Easter Stakes but that doesn't mean to say the likes of Mark Johnston's Luberon (3.50) should not be dismissed lightly.

Johnston holds a strong hand in the three-year-old division and Luberon isn't too far from the top of the powerful Middleham stable's pecking order, judged by a sparkling brace of 2005 successes at Ayr and Musselburgh.

Owned by one of Johnston's longest-standing patrons, Brian Yeardley, Luberon sports the blue and white colours made famous in the late nineties by the globetrotting colt, Gothenberg.

Luberon isn't in Gothenberg's league yet but he's a big, strong son of Fantastic Light who is not taking the trip down to the south-London venue just for a day out in the horse box.

The fillies get their chance to stake a claim for 1,000 Guineas glory in the Masaka Stakes, a race in which Nyarhini (2.45) might easily play a leading role.

Geoff Wragg has endured a couple of lean seasons by his own high standards, however he's too good a trainer to remain in the doldrums ad infinitum, especially with tackle such as Nyarhini waiting in the wings.

Having signed off with a narrow victory in a well-above-average Lingfield maiden last term, the selection has reportedly thrived over the winter and pleased Wragg on the Newmarket gallops.

Coincidentally Nyarhini shares the same sire as Luberon, giving rise to the possibility of a Classic trial double for the up-and-coming stallion, Fantastic Light.

Seeing as Michael Bell has made a lightning fast start to the new turf season, there can be little doubt Cool Panic (3.20) is fit and fancied for the £18,000 Play Backjack Handicap.

In building a solid case for Cool Panic it's well worth remembering he won first time out at Doncaster just over 12 months ago, storming to a runaway four-length triumph on the Town Moor.

It's a fact the handicapper made him pay for what was an authoritative victory with a vicious 12lb hike in the ratings, but having been raised to 95, he then proved the Doncaster rout was no fluke with a fine second at York in May.

Martin Dwyer, recently appointed second jockey to Sheikh Hamdan Al Maktoum, may have further reason to celebrate if Border Music (4.25) maintains his winning streak by lifting the intercasino.co.uk Conditions Stakes.

Despite being absent for 19 weeks, Border Music blasted his way to an all-the-way three-and-a-half-length success on his return to action at Wolverhampton in March.

The time clocked by Andrew Balding's progressive five-year-old was extremely quick which, combined with his awesome physique, suggests Border Music is still very much on the up.

There's interest from our region via Pieter Brueghel (3.35) and Kevin Ryan's Mutamared in Lingfield's feature race, the six-furlong £20,000 Play Roulette Handicap.

While it would be dangerous to totally write off the latter, Pieter Brueghel, who has the distinct advantage of having run only eight days ago, just gets the nod.

Considering he's had to contend with atrociously wet weather, trainer David "Dandy" Nicholls has his string fairly well forward at this very early stage of the turf season.

Neither does it seem as if Pieter Brueghel takes too much getting ready, from which we can deduce the seven-year-old should be cherry-ripe in his bid to record a first win on the polytrack.

There might also be some merit in supporting David's runner, True Night, for the opening mile-and-a-quarter Claiming Stakes.

The fall from grace of True Night (1.55) has been swift and cruel, seeing as mid-way through 2005 he was bagging a decent one-mile prize at Newcastle in June.

He appears to be over his problems and on the verge of ending a long losing streak.

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