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| Version 4 | Version 5 |
|---|---|
| Historic racecourse's first meet | Historic racecourse's first meet |
| (about 6 hours later) | |
| The first new turf horseracing course in Britain for around 80 years has opened on a former opencast mine. | |
| Almost 10,000 race-goers had 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 was 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 Ffos Las starts at a gallop | Almost 250 horses entered for the opening meeting Ffos Las starts at a gallop |
| General Manager John Williams: "From the feedback we've been getting everybody has been so excited about this for so long. | General Manager John Williams: "From the feedback we've been getting everybody has been so excited about this for so long. |
| "When the Walters Group bought the land it was basically a filled in former opencast mine - it was once the largest opencast mine in Europe. | "When the Walters Group bought the land it was basically a filled in former opencast mine - it was once the largest opencast mine in Europe. |
| "They've absolutely transformed the place. To build a racecourse on such a site is quite a feat. | "They've absolutely transformed the place. To build a racecourse on such a site is quite a feat. |
| "We've had a lot of the top trainers down here and we've had nothing but positive comments and we want to carry that through to today." | "We've had a lot of the top trainers down here and we've had nothing but positive comments and we want to carry that through to today." |
| 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. | 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. |
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| Ffos Las is one and a half miles long and wide enough for three different types of racing | |
| Thursday's meeting has attracted interest from far and wide with Mr Williams predicting busy ferries between Ireland and west Wales due to the number of entries from Irish stables. | Thursday's meeting has attracted interest from far and wide with Mr 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." |
| Race director Mark Kershaw, who used to have a similar role at Newbury, said the number of entries for Thursday had been "phenomenal." | Race director Mark Kershaw, who used to have a similar role at Newbury, said the number of entries for Thursday had been "phenomenal." |
| Speaking from the winners circle he added: "There will be a big throng of people here - three to four thousand - hopefully clapping a very popular winner. | Speaking from the winners circle he added: "There will be a big throng of people here - three to four thousand - hopefully clapping a very popular winner. |
| "Tony McCoy is here riding in the first race, the champion of all champion jockeys. It would be sensational if he was to ride the winner." | "Tony McCoy is here riding in the first race, the champion of all champion jockeys. It would be sensational if he was to ride the winner." |
| 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. |