SALISBURY Racecourse will kick the weekend off in style tonight with a high class six-race programme which is sure to attract another bumper crowd to the popular venue.

Around 6,000 people turned out earlier this month for the Nether-hampton track's only other Friday evening meeting of the season.

The opening race on the card is the £7,000-added Salisbury Journal Maiden Stakes for two-year-olds over six furlongs.

Last year the Mick Channon-trained Zafeen justified odds-on favour-itism in the equivalent contest to beat Sesary by three and a half lengths. The Zafonic colt has turned into a high class performer and won the Group One St James's Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot last month.

Tomorrow night's crowd will be hoping that the finish to the final race of the evening, the £8,000 Saffie Joseph & Sons Fillies' rated Handicap (8.35pm), will be as exciting as last year's. The Jeff Smith-owned Highland Shot, then trained by Salisbury director Ian Balding, got up to beat Pie High by a short head.

Other races include the £8,000-added Goadsby & Harding Managers Mai-den Stakes (6.35pm) and the Phones 4U Handicap (8.05pm).

Clerk of the course Jeremy Martin, said: "The first two July fixtures were tremendously successful and we hope Friday's continues this run of success."

Admission is £5 (course), £10 (Tattersalls) and £16 (Members). Acc-ompanied children are admitted free.

For more details ring 01722 326461.