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	Teaser (Good)	18 Jul 2019	3m 47.2s
2m 3f 83y	Le Musee (Good)	26 Jun 2019	4m 41.1s
2m 4f 199y	Patricks Park (Soft)	21 Oct 2017	3m 49.4s
2m 7f 177y	Bally Longford (Good)	26 Jun 2019	5m 49.2s
3m 1f 60y	Fortunes Hiding (Good)	14 May 2019	6m 21.2s
3m 3f 208y	Pobbles Bay (Good)	21 Apr 2019	7m 18s

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 5f 192y	Sizing At Midnight (Good)	14 May 2019	5m 11.8s
2m 7f 191y	Marble Moon (Good)	21 Jun 2018	5m 39.9s

Distance	Horse (Going)	Date	Winning time
1m 6f	Golden Gate Bridge (Heavy)	08 Nov 2015	3m 56.9s
1m 7f 182y	High Change (Good)	26 Jun 2019	3m 32.7s

Distance	Horse (Going)	Date	Winning time
5f	Perfect Charm (Good to Firm)	29 Jul 2019	56.8s
6f	Handytalk (Good to Firm)	29 Jul 2019	1m 7.46s
7f 80y	Hellovaqueen (Good to Firm)	24 Jul 2018	1m 29.72s
1m	Aqua Libre (Good)	05 Sep 2018	1m 39.39s
1m 1f	Muraabit (Good)	13 Aug 2015	1m 57.6s
1m 2f	Renardeau (Good to Firm)	29 Jul 2019	2m 5.38s
1m 3f 209y	Trueshan (Good)	29 Aug 2019	2m 31.18s
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	49	8	23	£65,446	16.33%	-£19.78
Evan Williams	58	6	18	£37,529	10.34%	-£32.83
Tim Vaughan	23	6	6	£26,968	26.09%	£11.17
C L Tizzard	15	6	5	£39,819	40%	£16.23
D A Rees	40	5	13	£28,720	12.5%	-£7.88
Miss V Williams	14	5	3	£25,862	35.71%	£14.00
N P Mulholland	13	4	5	£21,509	30.77%	£24.00
A J Honeyball	5	3	2	£16,351	60%	£8.45
J L Flint	11	2	5	£7,603	18.18%	£3.00
D Pipe	9	2	5	£12,671	22.22%	-£4.80

Trainer	Runners	Wins	Places	Prize Money	Strike-Rate	P/L
Evan Williams	95	15	36	£103,252	15.79%	-£20.29
P Bowen	62	8	19	£35,740	12.9%	-£25.65
N A Twiston-Davies	33	8	11	£56,160	24.24%	£9.37
W Greatrex	19	6	5	£28,902	31.58%	£8.33
Miss R Curtis	14	5	5	£18,650	35.71%	£6.63
Tim Vaughan	50	4	17	£13,906	8%	£1.83
B J Llewellyn	39	4	16	£20,379	10.26%	-£24.38
D A Rees	30	4	10	£17,350	13.33%	-£3.50
D Pipe	28	4	10	£17,935	14.29%	-£20.50
N J Henderson	12	4	4	£19,040	33.33%	£0.18

Trainer	Runners	Wins	Places	Prize Money	Strike-Rate	P/L
Evan Williams	11	2	5	£5,848	18.18%	£0.25
Harry Fry	6	2	4	£5,198	33.33%	£2.44
H Whittington	4	2	2	£6,498	50%	£6.50
N A Twiston-Davies	6	2	1	£4,873	33.33%	£4.50
Sam Thomas	5	1	3	£2,274	20%	-£3.25
Miss V Williams	5	1	1	£2,274	20%	-£2.75
D Pipe	5	1	1	£3,249	20%	-£2.63
Mrs D A Hamer	4	1	1	£2,274	25%	£0.50
W Greatrex	4	1	1	£3,899	25%	£1.00
Olly Murphy	3	1	1	£3,248	33.33%	£5.00

Trainer	Runners	Wins	Places	Prize Money	Strike-Rate	P/L
B R Millman	37	7	12	£28,044	18.92%	-£6.50
Archie Watson	20	7	2	£24,552	35%	£6.15
P D Evans	83	6	34	£21,476	7.23%	-£50.25
R Charlton	23	6	8	£20,766	26.09%	£29.69
A M Balding	28	5	12	£27,947	17.86%	-£2.83
Richard Hughes	26	5	12	£23,548	19.23%	£11.18
R M Beckett	24	4	10	£14,168	16.67%	£0.25
W S Kittow	16	4	4	£14,781	25%	£2.90
R Hannon	33	3	18	£14,037	9.09%	-£23.25
J A Osborne	16	3	11	£13,650	18.75%	£9.75

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
S Bowen	37	8	13	£58,954	21.62%	-£5.38
Adam Wedge	37	6	13	£37,529	16.22%	-£11.83
T Scudamore	19	4	5	£27,876	21.05%	-£8.43
H Cobden	10	4	4	£23,653	40%	£16.75
Alan Johns	16	4	3	£17,156	25%	£12.50
P J Brennan	13	3	6	£21,379	23.08%	£19.00
Ben Jones	9	3	5	£13,387	33.33%	-£0.83
Charlie Deutsch	7	3	3	£17,090	42.86%	£11.00
James Bowen	32	2	19	£17,148	6.25%	-£25.90
R T Dunne	20	2	11	£10,916	10%	-£12.00

Jockey	Runners	Wins	Places	Prize Money	Strike-Rate	P/L
Adam Wedge	64	13	28	£90,971	20.31%	£0.74
S Bowen	51	10	18	£37,429	19.61%	-£1.65
G Sheehan	16	9	3	£38,584	56.25%	£11.09
Aidan Coleman	26	5	11	£21,834	19.23%	-£8.43
T Scudamore	39	4	16	£20,924	10.26%	-£22.75
Sam Twiston-Davies	28	4	12	£18,325	14.29%	-£19.51
R Johnson	28	4	8	£17,091	14.29%	-£4.38
T J O'Brien	12	4	5	£17,285	33.33%	-£3.13
Thomas Bellamy	13	4	2	£14,231	30.77%	£21.50
James Bowen	44	3	17	£18,390	6.82%	-£34.38

Jockey	Runners	Wins	Places	Prize Money	Strike-Rate	P/L
Ben Jones	6	2	1	£4,548	33.33%	£1.25
G Sheehan	4	2	1	£6,173	50%	£3.25
T Scudamore	10	1	4	£3,249	10%	-£7.63
Adam Wedge	4	1	2	£3,249	25%	£4.00
Tom Cannon	3	1	2	£2,599	33.33%	£1.50
Sam Twiston-Davies	5	1	1	£2,274	20%	-£2.50
Nico de Boinville	3	1	1	£2,599	33.33%	£0.25
D A Jacob	3	1	1	£2,599	33.33%	£0.50
N D Fehily	3	1	1	£2,924	33.33%	-£1.56
Harry Bannister	2	1	1	£3,899	50%	£5.00

Jockey	Runners	Wins	Places	Prize Money	Strike-Rate	P/L
Rossa Ryan	33	7	10	£25,940	21.21%	£25.88
L Morris	27	7	8	£30,923	25.93%	£9.15
Finley Marsh	37	6	13	£23,127	16.22%	-£6.50
Jason Watson	27	5	13	£18,665	18.52%	-£8.06
M Dwyer	25	5	11	£29,378	20%	£0.83
S W Kelly	26	5	10	£27,421	19.23%	-£13.58
Oisin Murphy	18	5	9	£19,959	27.78%	-£2.75
Hollie Doyle	29	5	8	£17,371	17.24%	-£10.55
Fran Berry	24	5	8	£21,961	20.83%	-£2.00
K Shoemark	23	5	8	£17,855	21.74%	£11.75