MUSSELBURGH Racecourse is preparing for a hectic weekend when it hosts both traditional harness racing and the last flat meeting of the month.

The annual harness racing festival, featuring more than £35,000 in prize money, starts on Friday evening (June 24) at 6pm and culminates with two £5,000 races, an International Free for all Pace and the final of the Hurricane Pace.

Gates open at noon on Saturday for Champions Day, which features five pacing heats to qualify for the Famous Musselburgh Pace and concludes with the Scottish three-year-old Grass Derby and the £10,000 final of the Famous Musselburgh Pace at 6pm.

The harness racing festival features 25 races over the two days and is recognised as one of the most important annual meetings in the harness racing calendar, attracting entries from across the UK.

On Monday, Musselburgh is back in action with an evening meeting which rounds off an exceptional month which attracted more than 16,000 spectators to the track’s two premier summer meetings, The Edinburgh Cup Edinburgh Gin Race Day and the Stobo Castle Ladies Day, which featured the £100,000 William Hill Scottish Sprint Cup.

The feature race on the seven race card is the £8,000 Forticrete handicap over seven furlongs and gates open on Monday at 4pm with the first race off at 6pm.

Musselburgh Racecourse marketing manager, Aisling Johnston, said: “We round off a superb June with a packed weekend of harness racing which gives people a chance to experience another form of racing and then we are back racing on the Flat on Monday.

"It’s a great weekend for families looking for something exciting and different to enjoy and for our traditional racing guests.

“Then it’s all hands to the pump as we get ready for a very exciting occasion on Friday July 8 when we mark our 200th year racing at Musselburgh with the Bi-Centenary Race Day.

"We have a packed programme to suit families and racing fans of all ages and will have a few surprises in store as we lead up to the day.”