Ffos Las Racecourse

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Welcome to our official guide to Ffos Las Racecourse.

We explore this popular Welsh jump and flat racecourse in detail, looking at its history, a guide to the track, hotel picks, fixtures, travel information and betting guides.

If you are looking for the latest betting tips for Ffos Las, check out our full guide to Ffos Las Racecourse tips.

Find out more about Ffos Las Racecourse:

Ffos Las Racecourse

Overview of Ffos Las Racecourse

Ffos Las Racecourse, or, to give it its full and corporate name, Ffos Las Racecourse and Conference Centre, is a racecourse in rural Wales and one of the newest horseracing venues in the UK. It opened in 2009.

Ffos Las Racecourse is situated in a rural area of Wales between Carway and Trimsaran, north of the town of Llanelli.

Translated into English, Ffos Las means ‘blue ditch’ – and indeed the site was an open cast mine until 1997, some 500ft deep and at one point, the largest open cast mine in Europe.

The mine was in-filled and what is now Ffos Las Racecourse was built on top of it. When it opened in 2009, it was the newest National Hunt racecourse to open in the UK for 80 years.

Ffos Las Racecourse hosts both National Hunt and flat racing and is considered favourably in horseracing circles for its flat, galloping and fair nature, in a fantastic location. It’s often compared to Newbury Racecourse in stature. The track itself is raced left-handed and is approximately a mile-and-a-half long. It’s very flat and very fair, with a long home straight, and an extension that can be added in for straight five or six-furlong races. There are no obvious quirks and no particular type of horse or jockey favoured, so there’s a real ‘anything could happen’ feel about the races at Ffos Las.

Ffos Las Racecourse is very much a multi-purpose venue and further development are still planned for the site.

Already on-site you’ll find an extensive conferencing and business centre as well as numerous hospitality facilities, but development plans including planning permission for some 250 homes to be built by housebuilder Persimmon, the building of a hotel, the construction of a full equestrian centre, the establishment of full training facilities and the development of track facilities to offer show jumping, pony racing and harness racing.

Indeed Ffos Las Racecourse may be still somewhat of a new arrival to the British horseracing scene, but it intends to develop into a staple venue, and the potential is huge!

The Arena Racing Company (ARC) purchased the course in 2018, so it definitely seems progress is being made in a positive direction.

Ffos Las Racecourse History

Upon its construction completion, Ffos Las Racecourse was awarded a programme of eight race meets for its first year by The British Horseracing Board, with another later added for September.

The course opened on 18th June 2009 to a sell-out crowd of 10,000 attending an evening National Hunt meet and Ladies Night.

The first-ever race at the course was won by 15-8 second favourite and was very much a Welsh winner – horse Plunkett, ridden by Donal Fahy, trained by Evan Williams and owned by Hywel Jones!

The first flat race was held a month later, in July 2009. Another local affair true to the course’s heritage and community, the Jamie Yeates Memorial Maiden Stakes were dedicated to schoolboy and aspiring jockey Jamie who died the year before and was from nearby Llanelli,

The official opening ceremony of Ffos Las Racecourse was held in August 2009 and was conducted by commentator Sir Peter O’Sullivan, to a crowd of 12,000, before singer Cerys Matthew performed.

Ffos Las Racecourse was sold to the Arena Racing Company in 2009 and they have lodged numerous plans for expansion and development on the site.

Ffos Las Racecourse Map

Below are the two maps of Ffos Las.

Ffos Las Jumps Track

Below is a map of the Ffos Las jumps course:

Ffos Las Jumps Course
Courtesy of At The Races.

The jumping track at Ffoas Lass is wide, galloping and left-handed.

It is 12 furlongs around ( 1½ miles). The home-straight is half a mile long.

It is a very flat track with short runs in on both the chase and hurdle courses. Fences are quite stiff, whilst field sizes are noted to be on the smaller side.

Ffos Las Flat Track

Below is a map of the Ffos flat course:

Ffos Las Flat Course
Courtesy of Racing TV.

The flat track at Ffos Las is again left-handed and is essentially a galloping one.

A fair and mainly flat track races are run on the straight course up to 6 furlongs, whilst the track is 1 1/2 mile around.

The Main Races and Events at Ffos Las

The most notable race held at Ffos Las Racecourse is the Welsh Champion Hurdle, a National Hunt handicap hurdle race open to horses aged four or over. It was originally run at Chepstow Racecourse before being dropped from the racing calendar completely in 2003, but was revived from 2010 for racing at Ffos Las Racecourse; undoubtedly a much more fitting home. The race has been run up to two miles and six furlongs but currently sits at just two miles, and is run each October.

Ffos Las Racecourse Address

The address of Ffos Las Racecourse is:

Ffos Las Racecourse
Culla Road
Trimsaran
Kidwelly
West Wales
SA17 4DE

How To Get To Ffos Las Racecourse

The ways to get to Ffos Las Racecourse are:

  • By road – Ffos Las Racecourse is easily accessible by road and because its so new, the postcode actually directs to the right place in sat nav systems! It sits just off the A484 between Llanelli and Carmarthen, and is clearly signposted. Parking is free, but the roads around the course aren’t huge, so be prepared to arrive early to avoid traffic. Details for your sat nav are Trimsaran, Carmarthenshire, SA17 4DE
  • By bus – First Cymru operate a Mon-Sat bus service to nearby Trimsaran, and the nearest train stations are Kidwelly and Pembrey and Burry Port; both 4.5 miles away. Taxis can be caught from outside the stations to the racecourse.
  • By air – Ffos Las Racecourse can facilitate helicopter arrivals on racedays, but they need to be booked in advance.

Find “out where is Ffos Las racecourse?” by simply following our directions above.

Hotels Near Ffos Las Racecourse

There are plans to build a hotel at Ffos Las Racecourse but for now that’s just on paper – so you’re unable to stay at the course itself.

This is a fairly rural area of Wales, but nearby accommodation options include the Tyn Y Cym Guest House, The Baltic Inn, Bont Cottage, Ty Gwyn Farm and Middle Mill. Book in advance to avoid disappointment as none of these are large hotels!

Betting Shops Local to Ffos Las Racecourse

There are no Tote betting facilities at Ffos Las Racecourse but you can find a traditional betting shop and independent bookmakers on-site.

All chain bookies will give you odds for Ffos Las Racecourse races, but there’s not always the best mobile signal around the area, so don’t rely on an online bet on the day.

The nearest betting shops can be found in Llanelli, so place a bet before you leave if you don’t want to at the course itself.

Best Ffos Las Betting Sites

We often recommend betting online and via apps when planning a day at the races. This is because you can often get the best odds (BOG), great offers when signing up and you can place bets quickly and safely without having to queue.

All of the above top UK betting sites on this page made it into our list of best betting sites, all boasting a range of benefits to new and experienced punters. Read our best betting sites reviews now and find a bookie suitable for you.

Other Events Held at Ffos Las Racecourse

As you may have garnered from the full name of the course, Ffos Las Racecourse and Conference Centre is a multi-purpose venue.

The business centre is frequently full and gets booked ahead well in advance, but is perhaps most famous for its themed racedays rather than corporate events.

Industry days are held alongside race meets to allow people and businesses in the same industry to network in an informal and fun atmosphere.

Ffos Las Races

Ffos Las Races 2024

Here is the horse racing calendar for Ffos Las Races in 2024:

DateRacecourseWeekday
3/1/2024Ffos LasWednesday
1/2/2024Ffos LasThursday
16/2/2024Ffos LasFriday
1/3/2024Ffos LasFriday
15/3/2024Ffos LasFriday
31/3/2024Ffos LasSunday
16/4/2024Ffos LasTuesday
7/5/2024Ffos LasTuesday
15/5/2024Ffos LasWednesday
30/5/2024Ffos LasThursday
23/6/2024Ffos LasSunday
26/6/2024Ffos LasWednesday
10/7/2024Ffos LasWednesday
17/7/2024Ffos LasWednesday
30/7/2024Ffos LasTuesday
6/8/2024Ffos LasTuesday
14/8/2024Ffos LasWednesday
23/8/2024Ffos LasFriday
29/8/2024Ffos LasThursday
30/8/2024Ffos LasFriday
12/9/2024Ffos LasThursday
29/9/2024Ffos LasSunday
13/10/2024Ffos LasSunday
10/11/2024Ffos LasSunday
20/11/2024Ffos LasWednesday
2/12/2024Ffos LasMonday
19/12/2024Ffos LasThursday

Check out our guide for the full list of UK horse racing calendar fixtures for 2024.

Ffos Las Racecard and Ffos las tips

The racecards for Ffos Las races will be released the day before the races are set to happen. You can view full racecards in advance, check out  – horse racing cards tomorrow and horse racing cards today. In these, you will get an advance look at all the runners, trainers, form and riders.

You can also of course purchase a racecard from the track which carries much of the same useful information. Many like to keep these as souvenirs, especially from major horse racing events.

Popular Questions

✅What is the address of Ffos Las Races?

The address for Ffos Las races is:

Ffos Las Racecourse
Culla Road
Trimsaran
SA17 4DE

✅How do you get to Ffos Las Racecourse?

The ways to get to Ffos Las are:

  • By road – Ffos Las Racecourse is easily accessible by road and because it’s so new, the postcode actually directs to the right place in sat nav systems! It sits just off the A484 between Llanelli and Carmarthen and is clearly signposted. Parking is free, but the roads around the course aren’t huge, so be prepared to arrive early to avoid traffic.
  • By bus – First Cymru operate a Mon-Sat bus service to nearby Trimsaran, and the nearest train stations are Kidwelly and Pembrey and Burry Port; both 4.5 miles away. Taxis can be caught from outside the stations to the racecourse.
  • By air – Ffos Las Racecourse can facilitate helicopter arrivals on race days but they need to be booked in advance.

✅How long is Ffos Las Racecourse?

Ffos Las is 12 furlongs around.

✅Does Ffos Las Racecourse have a swimming pool?

At the moment Ffos Las Racecourse does not have a swimming pool, although there are lots of exciting development plans.

✅Is Ffos Las Racecourse dog friendly?

Only guide dogs are allowed into the Ffos Las Racecourse.

Summary of Ffos Las Racecourse

Opened in 2009, Ffos Las is a popular new dual-purpose course and a brilliant addition to the British racing scene.

A fair course built on the site of an old mine it has cemented itself as a popular course with locals and those from further afield.

With development plans and an ambitious future, we are excited to see how the course develops.

The races are always good quality and fair – perhaps not strictly top-class racing -but most certainly worth a visit and is in a charming 600 acres of beautiful Wales.

Other Racecourses in The UK and Ireland

Our team as of March 2024 have reviewed these UK racecourses and Irish racecourses that are also worth a visit:

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