A Coal Mine Turned Racecourse — Only in Wales

My father-in-law, a proud Welshman who spent forty years watching racing from the terraces at various courses across Britain, once told me that the Welsh have a gift for turning something gritty into something beautiful. I thought of him the first time I visited Ffos Las, standing on the terrace looking out across a racecourse that, just a couple of decades before, had been an open-cast coal mine. There's something genuinely moving about that transformation, if you let yourself think about it for a moment.

Ffos Las opened in 2009 in the village of Trimsaran in Carmarthenshire, and it carries the remarkable distinction of being the first new National Hunt course to open in Britain for 80 years. Eighty years. That's not a footnote — that's a headline. Yet somehow, Ffos Las wears that achievement lightly. It's not a course that shouts about itself. It simply gets on with providing good racing in a genuinely lovely setting, and lets the horses do the talking.

It might not have the grandeur of Cheltenham or the history of Newmarket, but there's a warmth to Ffos Las that you don't always find at the bigger venues. It feels like a proper local racecourse, the kind where the staff know the regulars, where families spread out on the grass banks, and where you can actually see the racing without craning your neck past someone's enormous hat. If you've never been, this week is a very good excuse to change that.

This Week's Fixtures — Flat, Jumps and Everything In Between

Ffos Las is a dual-purpose track, and this week it's making full use of that versatility with a lovely little double-header that should suit all tastes.

First up is Thursday, 27 August, with a six-race flat afternoon card. The going is Good, with a soil moisture reading of 40, which suggests a fair, consistent surface — exactly what you'd hope for in late August. Flat racing at Ffos Las on a summer afternoon is one of life's modest pleasures, and I'd encourage you not to overlook it.

Then on Friday, 28 August, the course pulls off that neat trick of hosting two separate meetings in a single day. There's a six-race flat afternoon card again, followed by a seven-race jump evening fixture as the light softens and the temperature drops a touch. The going for the jumps card is described as Good, on the easy side — and the team at Ffos Las have been clear that they're looking to deliver consistent ground right where it currently sits. For jump racing in August, that's a genuinely encouraging report.

Whether you fancy a full day out on Friday or prefer to pick your moment, there's plenty here to work with across the three sessions.

Know Your Track — What Makes Ffos Las Tick

Understanding the shape of a racecourse is half the battle, and Ffos Las has a few characteristics worth knowing before you start circling your selections.

The track is left-handed and roughly oval in shape, measuring approximately a mile and four furlongs per circuit. Crucially, it's flat — there are no significant undulations to catch a horse out — and it features a long, four-furlong home straight. That final straight is the key to everything here. It's long enough that a horse who hits the front too soon can get caught, and long enough that a horse with a genuine turn of foot can make up ground from well back.

What this means in practice is that stamina and a strong finishing kick are rewarded. Horses who like to bowl along in front and keep galloping aren't at a disadvantage here — the straight is fair enough — but those who can be held up and produced late often find this track suits them nicely.

Draw and Pace Considerations

On the flat, draw bias at Ffos Las tends to be relatively neutral compared to some tracks, though in larger fields over shorter distances it's always worth checking recent results to see if one side of the track has been riding faster. The good ground this week should keep things fairly even, but a quick look at the Thursday racecard and Friday's card before you bet is never wasted effort.

For the jumps card, the galloping nature of the track and that long straight mean bold jumping and good jumping technique are rewarded. Horses who fiddle their fences or lose momentum at the last tend to get found out here, especially when the ground is on the easy side of good and there's a bit more give underfoot.

The Type of Horse That Thrives at Ffos Las

Over the years, a pattern emerges at most tracks, and Ffos Las is no different. On the flat, keep an eye on:

  • Stayers and middle-distance types who appreciate a fair, galloping track with a long run-in
  • Horses dropping back in trip who have shown they stay well — the straight can flatter those with a decent cruising speed
  • Consistent, reliable performers who don't need soft ground to show their best — the Good surface here tends to suit genuine racehorses rather than mud-lovers

For the jumps card, look for:

  • Accurate jumpers who don't lose lengths at their fences — the long straight will expose any sloppiness
  • Horses trained locally or in Wales and the West Country — trainers who know this track well tend to place their horses shrewdly here
  • Improving novices who benefit from a fair, uncomplicated test — Ffos Las doesn't throw up too many surprises, which suits horses still learning their trade

Practical Tips for Punters — Attending or Betting from Home

Whether you're making the trip to Carmarthenshire or watching from your armchair, here's what I'd keep in mind this week.

If you're going in person, the Friday double-header is a genuinely fun day out. Arrive for the flat afternoon card, have a proper look around the course, and stay on for the evening jumps fixture. The atmosphere tends to build nicely as the evening draws in, and there's something magical about jump racing under a late summer sky. Wrap up if you're staying for the evening — it can get cooler than you'd expect once the sun dips.

From a betting perspective, watch the market moves on both days. Ffos Las attracts a good number of shrewd local connections who know exactly what they've got, and a horse that drifts in the morning and then comes back in sharply before the off is often worth a second look. Don't be afraid to back your own judgement, but respect the market signals too.

Finally, check the going reports on the morning of each race day. The soil moisture readings suggest stable conditions, but late summer weather can shift quickly, and Ffos Las's team are good at communicating any changes. The Ffos Las course page is always worth a bookmark for the latest updates.

Get Yourself Down to Ffos Las

There are fancier racecourses in Britain. There are more famous ones, more historic ones, and ones with longer queues at the bar. But there are very few that manage to feel quite so welcoming as Ffos Las — a course built from nothing on the bones of an old coalfield, now hosting some of the most enjoyable racing in Wales week after week.

This week's trio of fixtures — Thursday's flat afternoon, Friday's flat afternoon, and Friday's evening jumps card — gives you plenty of reasons to engage, whether you're there in person or following along from home. Good ground, fair racing, and a course that rewards the thinking punter. That's about as good as it gets in late August.

Have a look at the Friday racecard, do your homework, and enjoy the racing. My father-in-law would have loved every minute of it.