SALISBURY Racecourse opens its doors on the 2008 season with the first of 16 racedays on Sunday, when the popular Netherhampton venue hosts an entertaining seven-race card, featuring the £20,000 Bet totepool at totesport.com Handicap (2.25pm).

The six-furlong contest, the highlight of totepool day, is live on Channel Four Racing and was won last year by the smart handicapper Lipocco, trained locally at Whitsbury by Ralph Beckett.

Beckett ended Salisbury's 2007 campaign with six winners, making him the second most successful trainer at the course behind Richard Hannon, who saddled eight winners.

Ryan Moore was the top jockey at Salisbury last summer, chalking up a dozen victories.

The curtains go up on Salisbury's 2008 season at 1.55pm with the toteplacepot Maiden Stakes, while the opening day's action also features the five-furlong £10,000 totequadpot Fillies' Conditions Stakes (3.05pm) for juveniles.

Last season's tasty victor was the Hannon-trained Cake, who subsequently gained distinction when finishing third in the Group Three Cornwallis Stakes at Ascot.

The final race on Sunday's card is the first of this season's Bathwick Tyres Lady Riders' Series Handicap (5.25pm).

Salisbury's opening fixture is traditionally the most popular of the season, and a bumper Bank Holiday Sunday crowd is expected so racegoers are advised to get there early.

It is the first of three Sunday fixtures this year - the others being June 15 and June 29.

Coinciding with the 1,000 Guineas, Sunday's racegoers will be able to view the Classic action at Newmarket on screens around the course.

Sunday means Family Fun Day at Salisbury and the three designated fixtures offer a fun-filled day out for families, with an abundance of activities to occupy the children while mum and dad enjoy the thrilling action on the track.

As ever, Salisbury will have a giant ADI Screen at every meeting to give racegoers an enhanced view of the action on the course.

Salisbury is renowned as a schooling ground for future champions and many high-class performers can be seen in action at the picturesque course.

The 2006 Epsom Derby winner Sir Percy graced the Salisbury turf on his second career start, en route to being crowned the 2005 champion British two-year-old.

Other past winners at the course include the great Brigadier Gerard in 1970 and subsequent Group One winning sprinter Goodricke, who landed the 2005 renewal of the opening fixture's totesport.com Handicap.

Legendary champion sprinter Lochsong was runner-up on her racecourse debut at Salisbury in 1991 and has a race staged at the course in her honour.

Last season was no exception in bringing the usual array of classy performers to the course.

Godolphin's 2000 Guineas hope Fast Company won division two of the Bathwick Tyres/EBF Maiden Stakes in July, while fellow Godophin Classic aspirant McCartney also triumphed.

Maiden winner Max One Two Three is in line for a tilt at the 1000 Guineas.

Several Salisbury winners went on to big-race glory, including subsequent Group Two heroines Hi Calypso and Miss Lucifer, while Promising Lead acquitted herself admirably in Group One company after taking the Listed Upavon Fillies' Stakes.

The famous Royal colours were seen twice in the winner's enclosure last season with Fretwork and Hunting Tower both successful for the Queen.

Chief among the stars who raced at Salisbury in 2007 is the blisteringly fast Sakhee's Secret, who blitzed a top-notch field of sprinters to win the Listed Axmin-ster Carpets Cathedral Stakes in June.

The Hughie Morrison-trained star brushed aside some of the world's best speedsters to win the Group One Darley July Cup on his next start at Newmarket in July.

Jeremy Martin, Clerk of the Course and General Manager, said: "We are looking forward to another good year, which hopefully will see some fantastic performances from horses who go on to show their merit at the highest level, as we do each season.

"We were privileged to see Sakhee's Secret show his phenomenal speed here last year in winning the Axminster Carpets Cathedral Stakes and he went on prove himself one of the best sprinters in the world.

"It was great to watch the fillies Promising Lead, Hi Calypso and Miss Lucifer go on to make an impact in Group company and we saw some really high-class two-year-olds in Fast Company and McCartney, who could both contest the Classics.

"We have some tremendous entertainment lined up with Killer Queen and Counterfeit Quo, as well as Ladies Night and the ever-popular Family Fun Days, so there is plenty to look forward to in 2008."

3:12pm Wednesday 30th April 2008

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