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	Be Bop Boru (Good)	04 Jun 2015	5m 39.1s

Distance	Horse (Going)	Date	Winning time
1m 6f	Bidourey (Soft)	09 Nov 2014	3m 48.63s
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	59	14	27	£101,184	23.73%	-£6.19
Evan Williams	65	6	25	£39,608	9.23%	-£38.63
C L Tizzard	15	6	5	£39,819	40%	£16.23
D A Rees	38	5	12	£28,720	13.16%	-£5.88
Tim Vaughan	25	5	9	£22,679	20%	-£3.83
N P Mulholland	19	5	7	£25,408	26.32%	£30.00
Mrs D A Hamer	20	4	7	£18,845	20%	£4.50
Miss R Curtis	20	4	6	£18,844	20%	-£8.63
Miss V Williams	13	4	3	£21,573	30.77%	£11.50
T R George	11	4	2	£22,419	36.36%	£10.00

Trainer	Runners	Wins	Places	Prize Money	Strike-Rate	P/L
Evan Williams	110	20	42	£124,371	18.18%	-£3.91
P Bowen	81	11	28	£49,711	13.58%	-£25.90
N A Twiston-Davies	56	10	27	£62,918	17.86%	-£27.03
N J Henderson	20	8	6	£34,636	40%	-£2.58
W Greatrex	22	6	5	£28,902	27.27%	£5.33
P J Hobbs	21	5	4	£32,024	23.81%	£2.08
K C Bailey	11	5	0	£20,858	45.45%	£28.83
Tim Vaughan	62	4	19	£12,736	6.45%	-£26.67
B J Llewellyn	43	4	19	£20,014	9.3%	-£14.13
D A Rees	32	4	13	£17,350	12.5%	-£5.50

Trainer	Runners	Wins	Places	Prize Money	Strike-Rate	P/L
N A Twiston-Davies	11	4	3	£8,771	36.36%	£8.25
Evan Williams	13	2	5	£5,848	15.38%	-£2.75
H Whittington	6	2	3	£6,498	33.33%	£4.50
N J Henderson	5	2	1	£4,548	40%	£0.00
N P Mulholland	9	1	4	£1,949	11.11%	£0.00
Harry Fry	6	1	4	£2,924	16.67%	-£5.56
W Greatrex	8	1	3	£3,899	12.5%	-£4.00
M Scudamore	4	1	2	£2,599	25%	£17.00
B J Eckley	7	1	1	£1,949	14.29%	£60.00
Miss R Curtis	6	1	1	£1,949	16.67%	-£1.00

Trainer	Runners	Wins	Places	Prize Money	Strike-Rate	P/L
Archie Watson	24	8	5	£27,463	33.33%	£4.40
P D Evans	96	7	39	£25,357	7.29%	-£61.50
B R Millman	39	7	13	£28,044	17.95%	-£8.50
A M Balding	31	6	14	£31,181	19.35%	-£2.08
R Charlton	23	6	8	£20,766	26.09%	£29.69
Richard Hughes	29	5	14	£23,548	17.24%	£7.18
R M Beckett	26	4	11	£14,168	15.38%	-£1.75
W R Muir	26	4	7	£13,391	15.38%	-£5.50
W S Kittow	17	4	4	£14,781	23.53%	£1.90
R Hannon	34	3	19	£14,037	8.82%	-£24.25

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	49	14	20	£94,692	28.57%	£7.21
N D Fehily	11	6	2	£38,208	54.55%	£28.00
Adam Wedge	42	5	19	£34,410	11.9%	-£19.38
R T Dunne	20	4	11	£16,764	20%	-£7.13
T Scudamore	24	4	10	£23,393	16.67%	-£14.18
P J Brennan	12	4	5	£25,928	33.33%	£23.50
H Cobden	11	4	5	£23,653	36.36%	£15.75
Jonathan Moore	12	4	3	£18,844	33.33%	-£0.63
Sam Twiston-Davies	29	3	13	£22,924	10.34%	-£20.20
Alan Johns	18	3	5	£12,867	16.67%	-£2.50

Jockey	Runners	Wins	Places	Prize Money	Strike-Rate	P/L
Adam Wedge	75	16	31	£103,967	21.33%	£0.36
S Bowen	63	10	27	£38,924	15.87%	-£6.28
R Johnson	41	8	8	£44,111	19.51%	-£16.31
David Bass	14	7	1	£28,656	50%	£42.08
G Sheehan	19	6	4	£27,277	31.58%	£2.66
T Scudamore	60	5	26	£22,809	8.33%	-£39.25
Sam Twiston-Davies	44	5	26	£22,874	11.36%	-£34.01
T J O'Brien	27	4	13	£17,285	14.81%	-£15.71
Charlie Deutsch	12	4	4	£18,259	33.33%	£17.41
Lorcan Williams	11	4	4	£17,740	36.36%	£17.00

Jockey	Runners	Wins	Places	Prize Money	Strike-Rate	P/L
N D Fehily	5	2	2	£4,873	40%	£5.44
Sam Twiston-Davies	7	2	1	£4,223	28.57%	£0.00
Jamie Bargary	5	2	1	£4,548	40%	£7.25
Charlie Deutsch	5	1	4	£1,949	20%	£12.00
G Sheehan	6	1	3	£3,899	16.67%	-£1.00
Tom Cannon	4	1	3	£2,599	25%	£0.50
Aidan Coleman	4	1	2	£1,949	25%	£9.00
T E Whelan	5	1	1	£1,949	20%	£62.00
Adam Wedge	5	1	1	£3,249	20%	£2.00
Jonathan Moore	5	1	1	£1,949	20%	£0.00

Jockey	Runners	Wins	Places	Prize Money	Strike-Rate	P/L
Tom Marquand	41	7	14	£23,548	17.07%	£2.73
S W Kelly	37	7	14	£32,273	18.92%	-£15.08
M Dwyer	29	7	11	£35,847	24.14%	£5.08
Oisin Murphy	23	7	11	£25,134	30.43%	-£1.00
Rossa Ryan	33	7	10	£25,940	21.21%	£25.88
L Morris	27	7	8	£30,923	25.93%	£9.15
Finley Marsh	38	6	14	£23,127	15.79%	-£7.50
K Shoemark	36	5	16	£17,855	13.89%	-£2.25
Jason Watson	27	5	13	£18,665	18.52%	-£8.06
Hollie Doyle	33	5	9	£17,371	15.15%	-£14.55