Ffos Las
Flat Turf
Trimsaran, Carmarthenshire · Britain’s newest racecourse
Left-Handed
Galloping, Purpose-Built
Track Character
Track Character
Ffos Las is Britain’s newest racecourse: the first meeting was held on 18 June 2009, with an official opening on 28 August 2009. It was built on the site of a reclaimed opencast coal mine — worked until 1997, at points around 500 feet deep — and its name, “Ffos Las,” translates as “blue ditch,” a nod to that industrial past. The project was driven by Dai Walters, a local civil engineering entrepreneur who built the course using his own firm before selling the venue to Arena Racing Company (ARC) in 2018; Walters stayed on afterwards as honorary chairman.
Being purpose-built gives Ffos Las a character shared by almost no other British course: a left-handed oval of roughly 1m4f to 1m6f (sources differ slightly on the precise figure), wide and sweeping throughout, with none of the kinks, ridges, or camber changes that define most of Britain’s older tracks. The home straight is long — close to half a mile, around 6 furlongs — giving a fair, galloping test that rewards a genuine stayer over a sharp turn of foot. Going can swing widely across the year, from quick summer ground to genuinely testing midwinter conditions, a trait some put down to the underlying mine ground.
Course Facts
- Opened First meeting 18 June 2009; official opening 28 August 2009
- Site Built on a reclaimed opencast coal mine, worked until 1997
- Founder Dai Walters, using his own civil engineering firm; sold to ARC in 2018
- Ownership Arena Racing Company (ARC)
The Round Course
- Shape Left-handed oval, roughly 1m4f–1m6f, wide and sweeping
- Character No kinks or ridges — a genuinely fair, purpose-built galloping track
- Home straight Around 6 furlongs — one of the longer run-ins in Britain
Calendar & Notable Races
- Status No Listed or Group Flat race yet confirmed at the course
- Character A young track still building its black-type pedigree
- Note Also hosts events off the racing calendar, including a 2019 Madness concert
Major Meetings & History
As Wales’s flagship modern Flat circuit, Ffos Las has yet to stage a Group or Listed race — its black-type pedigree is still being written — but the fair, galloping bowl draws strong yards south and shares its calendar with a busy jumps programme headed by the Welsh Champion Hurdle. Its youth is the thing to keep in mind as a punter: with only around fifteen years of racing behind it, samples are thin and an apparent “trend” can rest on very few runnings, so confident-sounding angles deserve more caution here than at long-established tracks.
Draw Bias by Distance
Strong bias — material handicapping factor
Moderate lean — worth noting
Broadly fair — not a primary factor
Running Style Bias
Top Trainers & Jockeys
| Trainer | Runs | Wins | Win% | Places | Place% | A/E | P/L |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 Balding, A M | 65 | 14 | 21.54% | 29 | 44.62% | 0.93 | -13.70 |
| 2 Millman, B R | 77 | 13 | 16.88% | 29 | 37.66% | 1.01 | -6.88 |
| 3 Beckett, R M | 41 | 13 | 31.71% | 24 | 58.54% | 1.12 | +13.59 |
| 4 Muir, W R | 55 | 11 | 20.00% | 20 | 36.36% | 1.20 | +6.86 |
| 5 Morrison, H | 45 | 11 | 24.44% | 25 | 55.56% | 1.23 | +24.32 |
| 6 Llewellyn, B J | 109 | 10 | 9.17% | 28 | 25.69% | 0.74 | -41.27 |
| 7 Walker, Ed | 46 | 9 | 19.57% | 19 | 41.30% | 1.06 | -9.51 |
| 8 Evans, P D | 63 | 7 | 11.11% | 13 | 20.63% | 0.79 | -32.00 |
| 9 Osborne, J A | 30 | 7 | 23.33% | 11 | 36.67% | 1.19 | +19.25 |
| 10 Wintle, A | 54 | 6 | 11.11% | 14 | 25.93% | 0.79 | -34.02 |
| 11 Carroll, A W | 52 | 6 | 11.54% | 11 | 21.15% | 0.86 | -23.57 |
| 12 Charlton, Roger/Harry | 35 | 6 | 17.14% | 12 | 34.29% | 0.82 | -18.57 |
| 13 Kittow, W S | 32 | 6 | 18.75% | 12 | 37.50% | 1.38 | +23.88 |
| 14 Boughey, George | 15 | 6 | 40.00% | 7 | 46.67% | 1.86 | +22.08 |
| 15 Haggas, W J | 10 | 6 | 60.00% | 8 | 80.00% | 1.40 | +2.12 |
| 16 Harris, Miss G | 55 | 5 | 9.09% | 9 | 16.36% | 0.96 | -33.42 |
| 17 De Giles, Ed | 52 | 5 | 9.62% | 14 | 26.92% | 0.77 | -30.25 |
| 18 Portman, J G | 18 | 5 | 27.78% | 8 | 44.44% | 1.77 | +16.50 |
| 19 Williams, Ian | 18 | 5 | 27.78% | 9 | 50.00% | 1.96 | +37.50 |
| 20 Palmer, Hugo | 18 | 5 | 27.78% | 9 | 50.00% | 1.66 | +24.33 |
| Jockey | Runs | Wins | Win% | Places | Place% | A/E | P/L |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 Probert, David | 125 | 29 | 23.20% | 55 | 44.00% | 1.14 | +14.82 |
| 2 Hornby, Rob | 74 | 15 | 20.27% | 27 | 36.49% | 1.21 | +138.71 |
| 3 Edmunds, Lewis | 70 | 15 | 21.43% | 27 | 38.57% | 1.08 | +4.77 |
| 4 Ryan, Rossa | 51 | 15 | 29.41% | 26 | 50.98% | 1.25 | +15.56 |
| 5 Murphy, Oisin | 51 | 12 | 23.53% | 26 | 50.98% | 0.79 | -12.35 |
| 6 Osborne, Saffie | 62 | 10 | 16.13% | 23 | 37.10% | 0.87 | -4.92 |
| 7 Doyle, Hollie | 63 | 9 | 14.29% | 25 | 39.68% | 0.64 | -16.44 |
| 8 Hutchinson, Callum | 48 | 9 | 18.75% | 14 | 29.17% | 1.62 | +41.31 |
| 9 Whelan, Trevor | 65 | 7 | 10.77% | 13 | 20.00% | 0.83 | -37.45 |
| 10 Shoemark, Kieran | 53 | 7 | 13.21% | 13 | 24.53% | 0.77 | -14.22 |
| 11 Keeley, Aidan | 52 | 7 | 13.46% | 16 | 30.77% | 0.98 | -2.77 |
| 12 Leavy, Mr Joe | 26 | 7 | 26.92% | 11 | 42.31% | 1.32 | +0.15 |
| 13 Fallon, Cieren | 16 | 7 | 43.75% | 9 | 56.25% | 1.62 | +8.18 |
| 14 Coakley, Ross | 44 | 6 | 13.64% | 12 | 27.27% | 1.01 | -4.62 |
| 15 Fisher, Taylor | 37 | 6 | 16.22% | 14 | 37.84% | 1.12 | -8.05 |
| 16 Egan, David | 32 | 6 | 18.75% | 13 | 40.63% | 0.92 | -7.12 |
| 17 Greatrex, Edward | 28 | 6 | 21.43% | 10 | 35.71% | 1.11 | +12.13 |
| 18 Morris, Luke | 29 | 5 | 17.24% | 10 | 34.48% | 0.84 | +4.57 |
| 19 Mangan, Gina | 50 | 4 | 8.00% | 10 | 20.00% | 0.69 | -29.00 |
| 20 Downing, George | 21 | 4 | 19.05% | 5 | 23.81% | 1.06 | -6.32 |
Top Sires
| Sire | Runs | Wins | Win% | Places | Place% | A/E | P/L |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 Frankel | 28 | 9 | 32.14% | 13 | 46.43% | 1.22 | +19.53 |
| 2 Nathaniel (IRE) | 27 | 9 | 33.33% | 14 | 51.85% | 1.29 | -2.49 |
| 3 Kodiac | 53 | 8 | 15.09% | 16 | 30.19% | 1.19 | +132.50 |
| 4 Footstepsinthesand | 22 | 8 | 36.36% | 16 | 72.73% | 1.37 | +3.99 |
| 5 Zoffany (IRE) | 27 | 7 | 25.93% | 10 | 37.04% | 1.42 | +4.73 |
| 6 Invincible Spirit (IRE) | 24 | 7 | 29.17% | 13 | 54.17% | 2.15 | +29.00 |
| 7 Camelot | 22 | 7 | 31.82% | 12 | 54.55% | 1.27 | +6.01 |
| 8 Cityscape | 39 | 5 | 12.82% | 13 | 33.33% | 0.86 | +2.00 |
| 9 Bated Breath | 28 | 5 | 17.86% | 12 | 42.86% | 1.42 | +3.60 |
| 10 Australia | 24 | 5 | 20.83% | 8 | 33.33% | 1.06 | -7.93 |
| 11 Ardad (IRE) | 24 | 5 | 20.83% | 8 | 33.33% | 1.38 | +22.03 |
| 12 Lope De Vega (IRE) | 18 | 5 | 27.78% | 10 | 55.56% | 1.10 | -4.96 |
| 13 Time Test | 17 | 5 | 29.41% | 9 | 52.94% | 1.18 | +5.46 |
| 14 Showcasing | 30 | 4 | 13.33% | 8 | 26.67% | 1.02 | -10.27 |
| 15 Adaay (IRE) | 23 | 4 | 17.39% | 7 | 30.43% | 1.31 | +8.91 |
| 16 Sixties Icon | 16 | 4 | 25.00% | 5 | 31.25% | 2.15 | +25.00 |
| 17 Lethal Force (IRE) | 14 | 4 | 28.57% | 6 | 42.86% | 1.44 | +3.50 |
| 18 Fast Company (IRE) | 14 | 4 | 28.57% | 7 | 50.00% | 1.43 | +7.73 |
| 19 Wootton Bassett | 13 | 4 | 30.77% | 7 | 53.85% | 1.56 | +29.19 |
| 20 Harry Angel (IRE) | 6 | 4 | 66.67% | 4 | 66.67% | 2.09 | +12.43 |
Betting Tips for Ffos Las Flat Turf
Look Past Probert for Jockey Value
David Probert rides the most winners but only at fair value (A/E 1.14); Rob Hornby (A/E 1.21, +138.71), Callum Hutchinson (A/E 1.62) and Rossa Ryan (A/E 1.25) are the value rides, with Oisin Murphy (A/E 0.79) and Hollie Doyle (A/E 0.64) ones to oppose.
Purpose-Built Means Genuinely Fair
No kinks, ridges, or camber quirks — just a wide, sweeping oval that rewards a proper galloping stayer.
Andrew Balding Leads the Trainer Table
14 wins from 67 runners (21%) is the strongest identified Flat trainer figure at the course.
Watch the Going Swing
Conditions here can shift from fast summer turf to genuinely testing midwinter ground — check it close to the off.
No Draw Edge to Chase
Reporting finds little to no consistent stall bias at any trip — don’t force a draw angle that isn’t really there.
Kodiac Is the Sire Angle
Kodiac progeny return A/E 1.19 and +132.50 from the biggest sample here, and Frankel turns a profit too (A/E 1.2+, +19.53); Invincible Spirit (IRE) posts A/E 2.15 on a smaller book.
A Rare Value Track
A/E figures skew above 1.0 right across the page — a sign the market hasn’t fully calibrated to a young course, so genuine value is easier to find here than at established tracks. The flip side: with small samples, weight every figure accordingly.
Rossa Ryan Is Worth Following
Rossa Ryan is 15 from 51 here (29%) at strong value (A/E 1.25) for a +15.56 level-stakes profit — a high-strike, market-beating record beyond the usual Probert headline.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Assuming Ffos Las has an established draw bias. Most reporting finds no consistent edge at any trip — treat the quick-ground high-draw suggestion as unconfirmed, not a rule.
- Expecting a sharp, tricky track. Being purpose-built, Ffos Las is unusually fair and galloping — there are no kinks or ridges to catch a horse out.
- Overlooking the going swing. Conditions here can move from fast to genuinely testing across the season more than at some older, more sheltered courses.
Ffos Las Racecourse FAQs
Why is Ffos Las considered Britain’s newest racecourse?
Is there a draw bias on the Flat at Ffos Las?
Who owns Ffos Las Racecourse?
Does Ffos Las have any Listed or Group Flat races?
Nearby Tracks
Want the thinking behind Ffos Las turf bets?
FormDial posts every selection before the off with its full reasoning: the angle, the price, the logic. See how course analysis feeds into real selections.
The Trackside Companion is your day at the races, written to order — every race on your meeting’s card broken down, plus this track’s draw, angles and people distilled from the guide you’ve just read. Order at least a week before your raceday.
Plan your raceday →