The two racecourses in South Wales have a new senior management team. Both Chepstow and Ffos Las are now owned by the Arena Racing Company (ARC) after the West Wales course near Llanelli was purchased from businessman Dai Walters last year. ARC owns and operates 16 racecourses in the UK including Doncaster, Uttoxeter, Newcastle and Windsor as well as a number of greyhound tracks, hotels and golf courses. Phil Bell is the Executive Director of …

With rain lacking in much of the country, most of today’s races at Ffos Las contained a good-sized fields that had come in search of soft going. Tim Vaughan sponsored the first on the card, a 2m6f hurdle, and in hindsight we wondered why his runner Briac was allowed to start at 16/1. Ridden patiently by Alan Johns, he came through to lead on the long run to the second last, jumped it well and …

Arena Racing Company (“ARC”) is delighted to announce the launch of YourVENUE, a new events and hospitality brand linking the group’s sixteen racecourse venues around the country. ARC operates sixteen venues around Britain, including Doncaster, Chepstow, Newcastle and Royal Windsor Racecourses, and is able to cater for all types of venue, from weddings and parties to business meetings and conferences. For the first time, all sixteen racecourse sites will now fall under a single brand, …

A cloudy, blustery day. The going was heavy, which caused the omission of the first hurdle in the home straight and both open ditches. Big Picture (8/1) led throughout the 2m4f hurdle for conditional jockeys. Going much the best on the turn into the home straight, he responded well when asked to extend his lead there and finished full of running six lengths ahead of Urbanist. He showed nothing on two previous runs on heavy …

INTERNATIONAL OPERA STARS TO SING THE NATIONAL ANTHEM AT CHEPSTOW RACECOURSE FOR THE CORAL WELSH GRAND NATIONAL International opera stars Rebecca Evans and Wynne Evans are pairing up for the first time to sing the national anthem at the biggest race of the year in Wales, the Coral Welsh Grand National held at our sister race track, Chepstow Racecourse. Rebecca, a soprano who recently sung for Prince Charles at his 70th birthday party, has performed …

  What do you love about Ffos Las Racecourse? It’s great to have a racecourse that serves the racing community in both South and West Wales so well, and great to see so many people from the area supporting it, many who would not have gone racing if it wasn’t for a local track. What path did you take to become Head Groundsman? Did you always know that’s what you wanted to do? I grew …

  Some taking performances enlivened an overcast day with a chilly breeze blowing up the straight. The going was soft, heavy in places, so it remains to be seen whether those who impressed can do so on better ground. If you could ignore his form figures at the end of last season (FP4P) these conditions were ideal for Colmers Hill (5/1) in the 3m chase. Furthermore, his trainer Jeremy Scott was in form. He made …

  Leading Welsh trainer Peter Bowen and his two jockey sons, Sean and James, were all recognised at the inaugural Welsh Horse Racing Awards held at Chepstow Racecourse. Peter won the Trainer of the Year title, Sean was Jockey of the Year and 17-year-old James was named Rising Star of the Year. All three have enjoyed plenty of success across the UK and have become household names in the sport. The night, sponsored by George …

  Teenage Welsh jockey James Bowen (pictured right, with fellow nominees Sean Bowen and Adam Wedge) has been nominated in two categories for this week’s inaugural Welsh Horse Racing Awards sponsored by George Smith Horseboxes. The 17 year old rider, who won the 2017 Coral Welsh Grand National on Raz De Maree, has been nominated for ‘Jockey of the Year’ and the ‘Rising Star’ categories. James’ brother Sean is also in the final four for …

  Countryside Race Day was mostly bright and breezy.  Recent heavy rain meant the going was heavy, and as a result the third last fence (the open ditch) was omitted. The first event was a 2m chase.  Air De Rock was clear and looked the likely winner when getting too close to the second last and coming down.  That left Le Coeur Net (13/2) with a similarly large advantage and he extended it to run …