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| Historic racecourse's first meet | |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| The first new turf horseracing course in Britain for more than 80 years is due to open on a former opencast mine. | |
| Almost 10,000 race-goers have tickets for the first night's fixture at Ffos Las near Trimsaran in Carmarthenshire. | Almost 10,000 race-goers have tickets for the first night's fixture at Ffos Las near Trimsaran in Carmarthenshire. |
| It has attracted some of the sport's top names including champion jockey Tony McCoy, booked to ride for course owner Dai Walters in the opening race. | It has attracted some of the sport's top names including champion jockey Tony McCoy, booked to ride for course owner Dai Walters in the opening race. |
| The course is built on old mine and it is already hoped it will challenge some of the best courses in Europe. | |
| More than £20m has been spent building the course, grandstand, stables and infrastructure on the 600 acre site. | More than £20m has been spent building the course, grandstand, stables and infrastructure on the 600 acre site. |
| The meeting, the first of eight British Horse Racing Board fixtures allocated to Ffos Las this year, sold out a week ago. | The meeting, the first of eight British Horse Racing Board fixtures allocated to Ffos Las this year, sold out a week ago. |
| Almost 250 horses entered for the opening meeting | Almost 250 horses entered for the opening meeting |
| Next year it will host 28 meetings, including a three-day flat programme in August and a two-mile £60,000 race on 9 January, which is being framed as the Welsh Champion Hurdle. | |
| Thursday's meeting has attracted interest from far and wide with general manager Jon Williams predicting busy ferries between Ireland and west Wales due to the number of entries from Irish stables. | |
| "This area is also quite a tourist trap, and with the proximity to Ireland there is a huge catchment area," he said. | "This area is also quite a tourist trap, and with the proximity to Ireland there is a huge catchment area," he said. |
| "Pembroke and Fishguard ports are close by and there is a new Cork to Swansea ferry hopefully starting soon which will open the west of Ireland up to us too." | "Pembroke and Fishguard ports are close by and there is a new Cork to Swansea ferry hopefully starting soon which will open the west of Ireland up to us too." |
| Mr Williams said it had taken a lot of work to finally get to the starting post. | Mr Williams said it had taken a lot of work to finally get to the starting post. |
| "The council have been so supportive that we are trying to give as much back to the local community as possible. | "The council have been so supportive that we are trying to give as much back to the local community as possible. |
| "Support from the local community has been 200%. There was a bit of scepticism early doors but as we have got closer to the time people have been saying that it is amazing." | "Support from the local community has been 200%. There was a bit of scepticism early doors but as we have got closer to the time people have been saying that it is amazing." |
| A further seven fixtures will follow this year, and the meeting on 28 August will see the track officially opened by racing commentator Sir Peter O'Sullevan. | A further seven fixtures will follow this year, and the meeting on 28 August will see the track officially opened by racing commentator Sir Peter O'Sullevan. |