Ffos Las

Ffos Las racecourse is a dual-race type course owned by the Fos Las Ltd. It is located in Llaneli town within the county of Carmarthenshire, West Wales. Northern Racing is the company mandated to run the course, with races televised on At The races.

History

Ffos Las is absolutely new by the standards of racecourses, having only opened its doors in 2009. It came up as a sort of reclamation plan, taking the place Europe’s largest open cast coal mining after the colliery closed operations. It is surrounded by Carway and Trimsaran mining villages, with the culture of miners still evident in the area.

The first race run here was a national Hunt, with the event’s 10,000 tickets sold out. It was won by Plunkett, who started as second favorite. Plunkett was owned by Hywel Jones, trained by Evan Williams and ridden by Donal Fahy.

Flat racing first happened in July 2009-the Jamie Yeates Memorial Maiden Stakes. It was won by Dream Queen who was trained by Barry Hills and ridden by Michael Hallis.

The course

The name Ffos Las means ‘Blue Ditch.’ The course sits on a 600 acre property, and is used for both flat and national Hunt racing. The young age of the course means it had the advantage of taking many lessons from older courses as it was built, resulting in a hybrid facility that can be compared to the best surfaces across Europe. The track is 60 meters in width, well drained and level for pretty much its entire length.

Races

The course has hosted a varying number of races during its short span of existence as it continues to establish itself. It is still in the process of attracting big events and renowed horses, but is surely on its way there.

The 2017 calendar has 16 races scheduled. The Welsh champion Hurdle, a handicap grade jump race run over two miles, is arguably the Blue Ditch’s headline race.

Much of its racing is still in the planning stage, with a Celtic Festival intended for the period of St. David’s day. Equestrian events are also on the cards.