Ffos Las
IT’S ALL MINE!
Britain’s newest racecourse is enjoying the enthusiastic support of trainers from as far afield as Newmarket and the Republic of Ireland, whilst drawing a loyal following of knowledgeable racegoers from the South Wales communities which surround it.
Jane Carley reports on the ‘clean sheet’ approach that has served Ffos Las so well
F 106
or Head Groundsman Arwyn Morgan, to see top quality racing taking place on the pristine turf at Ffos Las is particularly gratifying. He grew up just a few miles away - his brother still farms in a neighbouring village - and he recalls the valley being turned from the largest opencast coal mine in Europe to a crudely backfilled and derelict site when its resources were exhausted in 1992. “It is amazing to see what has been achieved here, and how much it is appreciated,” he says. The site was purchased by the directors of civil engineering contractor, the Walters Group, in 2002. After a false start, when it became apparent that no grants would be available to help raise the £22m cost of developing Ffos Las as a racecourse, planning permission was granted in 2007 for the adjacent residential and commercial development needed to fund it. Considerable pre-construction work was needed to protect the ecological life on the site - including lapwings, newts, otters and hares, which thrive in the
centre of the course now - before development began in June 2007. The design was managed and
coordinated by Tim Whinney of Walters Group, working with architects Powell Dobson and contractor Professional Sportsturf Design; the construction team was made up of local companies where possible.
Clerk of the Course and General Manager, Tim Long, explains: “The other racecourses in Britain are mainly located by default and have developed over the years, which presents a lot of challenges. Racehorses are now extremely valuable, and courses require considerable ongoing investment to present a uniform racing surface of a sufficiently high standard. We were able to create a racecourse with a clean sheet, taking the best elements from other courses, and developing a track that would produce fair, competitive racing.” Every aspect has been developed to
exacting specifications set by the British Horseracing Authority (BHA), from the perfectly positioned parade ring to 120 immaculate stables complete with hot
and cold washdowns, individual tackrooms and drug testing facilities. Tim Long was engaged in 2008, as part of an agreement with Northern Racing, to set up the racing operation at Ffos Las, and initially remained as Clerk at Chepstow, but has since been appointed as general manager at the new course.
By this time, the BHA had become a constant presence during the construction, keen to retain some level of control after difficulties in the development of Great Leighs racecourse, which eventually folded in 2009. “They were here every couple of weeks, but were extremely supportive, and it was reassuring to know that the development was progressing on the right track,” comments Tim.
How the course was built
The opencast overburden was rolled and dressed before drains were inserted every seven metres, running to a main drain, and overlaid by sand slits every two metres. Topsoil from the local airport was imported and graded using GPS
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