Ffos Las Course Guide

Located in west Wales, Ffos Las stages racing both on the Flat and over jumps and has proved popular with horsemen thanks to its flat, galloping and fair nature which many trainers compare as being similar to Newbury.

The course opened in June 2009, becoming the first new national hunt track to be built for 80 years, and its late January meeting has emerged is its annual feature, where the two big races are the West Wales National – and handicap chase over three and a half miles – and the Welsh Champion Hurdle, a limited handicap over two and a half miles which has been won by useful jumpers Oscar Whiskey, Medinas and Saphir Du Rheu.

The best horse to have raced at Ffos Las to date is undoubtedly champion two-mile chaser Sprinter Sacre, who won a novices’ hurdle by 10 lengths at the track in February 2011.

Flat Racing
Jumps Racing

A left-handed track, essentially galloping in nature. Approximately a mile and a half in extent, the course is very flat and fair, with a long home straight, including an extension to enable a straight track for races over five and six furlongs.

I’ve never ridden at Ffos Las, but all the current jocks tell me it’s a good, fair, honest course, with no kinks or ridges. There don’t seem to be any obvious quirks about it, viewed from the stands at least, and I’ve not spotted any great bias, either regarding the draw or across-the-track pace. They always seem to go a sensible gallop there, which suggests the configuration is straightforward enough, but I have noticed they tend to race up the middle, rather than stick to the rails, when the going gets soft.

View from the saddle: Jason Weaver

A wide, galloping, left-handed circuit of 1½ miles, with a straight of just over 4f. It has no undulations but a very slight rise over the course of the back straight and the opposite in the home straight. There are short run-ins for both hurdles and chases, though it is in essence a fair track, with the chase course providing a good test of jumping. Field sizes tend to be on the small side.

I walked the course at Ffos Las on the day it opened for racing and there’s no doubt about it - it’s a beautiful set-up, you can’t help being impressed. I don’t think it gets the backing from some people that it deserves, because all the current jocks - Flat and jumps - say good things about it. The jumping lads reckon the fences are a fair test - not too stiff, but no pushover - and it’s grand to ride. The one worry about it is that the going can become extreme. When it gets properly soft, it can be really hard work.

View from the saddle: Mick Fitzgerald

Ffos Las Top Times
Last 5 years

Chase
Hurdle
National Hunt Flat
Flat

Distance	Horse (Going)	Date	Winning time
2m	Dark Invader (Good)	21 Jun 2018	3m 50.9s
2m 3f 110y	Traditional Bob (Good to Firm)	19 Jun 2014	4m 38.88s
2m 4f 199y	Patricks Park (Soft)	21 Oct 2017	3m 49.4s
3m	High Kite (Good)	19 Jun 2014	5m 48.15s
3m 1f 110y	A Decent Excuse (Good)	22 Aug 2014	6m 13.5s
3m 3f 208y	The Bay Oak (Good)	16 Apr 2017	7m 26.3s

Distance	Horse (Going)	Date	Winning time
1m 7f 182y	Borak (Good)	21 Jun 2018	3m 36.4s
2m 4f	Voodoo Doll (Good to Firm)	13 Jul 2018	4m 36.5s
2m 6f	Master Malt (Good)	19 Jun 2014	5m 20.3s
2m 7f 191y	Be Bop Boru (Good)	04 Jun 2015	5m 39.1s

Distance	Horse (Going)	Date	Winning time
1m 6f	Taj Badalandabad (Good to Soft)	13 May 2014	3m 23.3s
1m 7f 202y	Western Ryder (Good)	28 May 2016	3m 36.5s

Distance	Horse (Going)	Date	Winning time
5f	Major Valentine (Good)	17 Jul 2017	57.27s
6f	Decision By One (Good)	30 Jun 2014	1m 8.66s
7f 80y	Hellovaqueen (Good to Firm)	24 Jul 2018	1m 29.72s
1m	Kafeel (Good)	30 Jun 2014	1m 38.95s
1m 1f	Muraabit (Good)	13 Aug 2015	1m 57.6s
1m 2f	Advanced Virgo (Good to Firm)	24 Jul 2018	2m 6.6s
1m 3f 209y	Outbox (Good)	05 Sep 2018	2m 32s
1m 6f	Urban Space (Good to Soft)	19 Jul 2016	3m 3.35s
2m	Long John Silver (Good to Firm)	24 Jul 2018	3m 25.42s

Ffos Las Top Trainers
Last 3 years (ordered by number of winners)

Chase
Hurdle
National Hunt Flat
Flat

Trainer	Runners	Wins	Places	Prize Money	Strike-Rate	P/L
P Bowen	54	14	28	£93,068	25.93%	-£3.29
D A Rees	36	6	11	£32,619	16.67%	£1.13
Mrs D A Hamer	24	6	7	£26,643	25%	£8.75
Miss R Curtis	25	5	8	£24,042	20%	-£9.13
Evan Williams	59	4	24	£19,104	6.78%	-£41.63
T R George	9	4	1	£19,781	44.44%	£10.75
N P Mulholland	19	3	7	£15,011	15.79%	£8.00
Jonjo O'Neill	16	3	5	£21,704	18.75%	-£5.38
A J Honeyball	8	3	5	£16,351	37.5%	£4.45
C L Tizzard	9	3	2	£19,675	33.33%	£3.48

Trainer	Runners	Wins	Places	Prize Money	Strike-Rate	P/L
Evan Williams	111	19	48	£120,277	17.12%	-£10.91
N A Twiston-Davies	63	16	28	£87,416	25.4%	£6.40
P Bowen	69	10	27	£51,725	14.49%	-£16.13
B J Llewellyn	39	5	16	£22,288	12.82%	-£5.93
W Greatrex	22	5	5	£24,808	22.73%	-£2.67
N J Henderson	15	5	5	£19,755	33.33%	-£7.95
P J Hobbs	19	5	4	£32,024	26.32%	£4.08
Miss R Curtis	34	4	13	£14,231	11.76%	-£22.75
K C Bailey	12	4	1	£14,620	33.33%	£23.33
Tim Vaughan	49	3	12	£9,617	6.12%	-£13.50

Trainer	Runners	Wins	Places	Prize Money	Strike-Rate	P/L
N A Twiston-Davies	13	4	3	£8,771	30.77%	£6.25
Miss R Curtis	9	3	2	£5,847	33.33%	-£0.72
W Greatrex	8	3	2	£9,097	37.5%	£3.00
H Whittington	5	2	2	£6,498	40%	£5.50
Evan Williams	12	1	5	£3,249	8.33%	-£4.00
Paul Morgan	4	1	3	£1,949	25%	£13.00
N P Mulholland	7	1	2	£1,949	14.29%	£2.00
M Scudamore	3	1	2	£2,599	33.33%	£18.00
B J Eckley	7	1	1	£1,949	14.29%	£60.00
N J Henderson	3	1	1	£1,949	33.33%	-£0.25

Trainer	Runners	Wins	Places	Prize Money	Strike-Rate	P/L
P D Evans	97	11	40	£39,588	11.34%	-£51.25
A M Balding	40	10	20	£50,231	25%	£20.04
B R Millman	42	7	17	£28,625	16.67%	-£14.00
R Charlton	19	6	6	£23,255	31.58%	£32.38
Richard Hughes	27	5	15	£24,000	18.52%	£7.18
W R Muir	25	5	7	£16,625	20%	£3.50
H Morrison	22	4	7	£11,514	18.18%	-£8.00
C Hills	19	4	6	£16,301	21.05%	£8.41
R Hannon	30	3	15	£14,037	10%	-£21.25
R M Beckett	21	3	11	£11,838	14.29%	-£14.34

Ffos Las Top Jockeys
Last 3 years (ordered by number of winners)

Chase
Hurdle
National Hunt Flat
Flat

Jockey	Runners	Wins	Places	Prize Money	Strike-Rate	P/L
Sean Bowen	48	16	22	£103,724	33.33%	£14.21
N D Fehily	11	6	2	£39,248	54.55%	£26.50
R T Dunne	22	5	12	£19,363	22.73%	-£3.13
Jonathan Moore	14	5	4	£24,042	35.71%	£1.88
T Scudamore	24	4	9	£25,602	16.67%	-£11.38
T E Whelan	23	4	7	£18,195	17.39%	£1.75
Adam Wedge	39	3	17	£13,906	7.69%	-£25.38
Sam Twiston-Davies	26	3	13	£22,924	11.54%	-£17.20
P J Brennan	9	3	3	£22,614	33.33%	£16.50
Thomas Bellamy	6	3	1	£14,946	50%	£14.00

Jockey	Runners	Wins	Places	Prize Money	Strike-Rate	P/L
Adam Wedge	70	15	30	£99,873	21.43%	-£1.64
Sam Twiston-Davies	46	9	26	£38,210	19.57%	-£2.08
Sean Bowen	52	8	24	£37,819	15.38%	-£5.00
R Johnson	40	7	11	£38,262	17.5%	-£13.92
David Bass	13	6	2	£22,418	46.15%	£38.58
T Scudamore	50	5	21	£22,614	10%	-£9.75
G Sheehan	20	4	5	£19,999	20%	-£7.59
Robert Williams	26	3	7	£12,931	11.54%	-£12.80
D A Jacob	11	3	3	£11,567	27.27%	-£0.83
M G Nolan	12	3	1	£12,867	25%	£20.25

Jockey	Runners	Wins	Places	Prize Money	Strike-Rate	P/L
G Sheehan	6	3	2	£9,097	50%	£6.00
Sam Twiston-Davies	7	2	1	£4,223	28.57%	£0.00
T E Whelan	7	2	1	£3,898	28.57%	£61.67
Jamie Bargary	5	2	1	£4,548	40%	£7.25
Charlie Deutsch	4	1	3	£1,949	25%	£13.00
Jonathan Moore	6	1	2	£1,949	16.67%	-£1.00
N D Fehily	4	1	2	£1,949	25%	£5.00
Adam Wedge	5	1	1	£3,249	20%	£3.00
T J O'Brien	3	1	1	£2,599	33.33%	£0.75
Aidan Coleman	3	1	1	£1,949	33.33%	£9.00

Jockey	Runners	Wins	Places	Prize Money	Strike-Rate	P/L
S W Kelly	40	8	16	£35,507	20%	-£12.08
Fran Berry	40	7	14	£28,429	17.5%	-£11.09
L P Keniry	49	6	21	£29,101	12.24%	£7.25
M Dwyer	31	6	11	£28,406	19.35%	£2.92
Kieran Shoemark	29	6	11	£21,380	20.69%	-£1.88
L Morris	17	6	6	£27,494	35.29%	£15.15
Finley Marsh	34	5	13	£20,345	14.71%	-£11.50
Jim Crowley	21	5	11	£15,590	23.81%	-£8.96
David Probert	19	5	10	£24,356	26.32%	-£1.75
Rossa Ryan	23	5	7	£19,729	21.74%	£26.00