Racecourse in Focus- From Coal to Course
In the heart of rural Carmarthenshire lies what many local racegoers like to refer to as ‘the hidden gem of Welsh racing’.
Ffos Las Racecourse, formerly an open-cast coal mine, has been celebrating its 10-year anniversary. Although the initial idea of bringing a racecourse back to West Wales was formed long before its inauguration in 2009, development at Ffos Las has quickly transformed its local surroundings and community.
On a recent visit to the racecourse, Executive Director Phil Bell and General Manager Simon Rowlands tell more about the course’s progress and future plans.
The Blue Ditch
Translated literally into English as the Blue Ditch, the dream of Ffos Las racecourse was made a reality by welsh businessman and racing enthusiast Dai Walters. Walters used much of his own civil engineering companies’ equipment and workforce to complete the redevelopment project from what was one the largest man-made holes in Europe into the magnificent racecourse that stands today.
Following a long and rigorous journey, the racecourse was ready for its first meeting in June 2009 where almost 10,000 racegoers flooded into the racecourse for the grand opening by Sir Peter O’Sullevan CBE.
Local Front Runners
South Wales-born Simon Rowlands has praised the work of his predecessors having joined the team at the end of 2018. “For its first 10 years in operation, Ffos Las has worked hard to develop and sustain top quality racing under both racing codes, attracting trainers and jockeys from all over Great Britain and Ireland” Rowlands said. “Ffos Las continues to grow from strength to strength, having recently confirmed 19 Flat and Jump race meetings for the 2020 season. I am really keen to build business partnerships across the region and attracting more people to the venue. This will be done by building the Ffos Las Brand in conjunction with Chepstow Racecourse to spotlight the strength of welsh racing”.
Whilst the racecourse attracts runners far and wide, Welsh trainers have relished the opportunity to race locally at Ffos Las- making up the first three winning-most jumps trainers at the track. Evan Williams leads the way having reached the milestone of 100 winners at the racecourse, crediting Ffos Las as a ‘first class track where you’re guaranteed top-quality racing’.
Peter Bowen and Rebecca Curtis are not far behind however, with 92 and 76 winners respectively. Monmouth-based trainer David Evans also takes top position as the winning-most flat trainer at Ffos Las with 36 winners to date. The racecourse has also been able to enjoy the valuable input of Welsh jockey Sean Bowen, son of Peter. Sean has established himself as a leading rider in the country and now provides regular updates on exciting winners and horses for the future to the racecourse website.
The Winner Takes it All
Since inception, Ladies Day has been the social event of the year in Carmarthenshire.
Lucrative cash prizes were offered at this year’s Ladies’ Day including the best dressed lady being awarded £1,000 and the best dressed gentleman receiving £500 worth of vouchers from Slaters Menswear. Furthermore, a fantastic prize for best hat was made where the winner on the day received a £400 voucher for a bespoke headpiece, a Pandora bracelet, a faux-fur cape with matching trilby, and a bouquet of flowers and bottle of prosecco. Racegoers at this year’s Ladies Day were also able to enjoy a sing and a dance to well-known ABBA tribute band, Björn Again.
Rowlands also commented “We are really excited about the future of this raceday with the potential of extending it to a 2-day meeting. Ladies’ Day has always worked really well for us, but we know there is scope to attract more customers in the Summer months.
“Ffos Las has strong relationships with local resorts and parks, and we believe that by building the brand and making holidaymakers aware of what Ffos Las can offer in the peak of Summer, we can tap into the influx of holiday tourists who come to West Wales for their summer holiday destinations. By doing so, we can gain greater awareness through media coverage of the raceday experience we have available at the course on a regional and national level”.
Celebrating Champions
The racing highlight of the year at Ffos Las is the prestigious Welsh Champion Hurdle held in October. Since its regeneration in 2010 to a Limited Handicap, the race has attracted a high calibre of horse, including The New One and the locally-trained Silver Streak. Other notable winners at the racecourse include dual-winning Champion Chase hero Sprinter Sacre, who won a Novice’s Hurdle at Ffos Las by 10 lengths in 2011.
Bell and Rowlands are enthusiastic to further develop the awareness of the West Wales racecourse. Rowlands explains “2019 has been our best year so far for attendances with the help of the extremely popular Madness Concert in May that attracted 9,000 customers. This was a really significant highlight in our 10-year celebration, and we would like to capitalise on this product for future events.
“By combining greater on-course regional branding and non-racing events such as music concerts, running competitions and conferences, we can build a diverse product for all. We are in a very fortunate position to be able to showcase horse racing in a beautiful setting.
“By working closely with our sister racecourse Chepstow, we hope to encourage more people in Wales to come horse racing with some exciting plans. Reaching the 10-year anniversary at Ffos Las means a great detail to everyone who has been there from the initial idea to where it is now. As a team, we recognise the growing strength of welsh racing in the training and riding ranks, and we intend to celebrate this upward trend!”.
