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It looked great there didnt it?
I know that part of the world well. a very good friend in Carmarthen just up the road. They are a bit wild even by welsh standards… beyond Swansea, but good fun
The area was described as "depressed" by Alan lee in the Times. It isnt at all. Reasonable amont of prosperity and any visions of slag heaps, collapsing two up two downs and striking mines will be well wide of the mark
Great area for a weekend break. Kidwelly just up the road is a nice place with a famous castle and the whole of beautiful pemborkeshire is on the doorstep. I love it down there i must say
As well as being very attractive to Irish daytrippers it will benefit from holiday crowds too
Superb effort by all concerned
Impressed. A flat and fair galloping track with well made stout fences. Newbury, Wetherby and old Haydock spring to mind, which is compliment enough. And scenically situated in a natural amphitheatre.
"Newbury in Wales", as Mick Fitzgerald dubbed it. Notwithstanding the absence of both a cross fence and a water jump, that’s an entirely reasonable comparison, and hopes that it will double the options of summer jumping horses that don’t want a turning track appear to be met.
Myself and Prufrock walked the course about two and a half hours before the opener. There was rather more good to firm in it than good even then, and the very brisk wind that battered the course until about race five can only have dried it out yet further.
The fences are very Worcesteresque in being well-built, well-presented portables which are inviting to jump without being unncessarily easy.
I’d have liked to see Easyfix hurdles used as standard from the get-go, and it’s possibly slightly surprising they are not. Easyfix’s UK agents are Connolly’s Red Mills, and the latter’s spokesperson / main point of contact is Dai Jones, one of the all-time titans of Welsh point-to-point raceriding. I hope discussions are still ongoing with a view to introducing them in the fullness of time.
Did have the thought that the dread-spectre of fence ommission due to low sun may introduce himself at 8.50 but thankfully none of the fences seemed head on into it.
Correct. The sun was at its most unobstructed before and during the sixth race, and there aren’t so many grandstand-type buildings to be able to blot out the sun entirely. Without recourse to a compass to confirm it we assumed from this that neither straight must be directly west-facing.
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Jeremy Grayson. Son of immigrant. Adoptive father of two. Metadata librarian. Freelance point-to-point / horse racing writer, analyst and commentator wonk. Loves music, buses, cats, the BBC Micro, ale. Advocate of CBT, PACE and therapeutic parenting. Aspergers.
and it looks like you are going to be having Tommo calling the races for you.
Yes, Britain’s top light entertainer was very much in evidence.
There was some logic in that booking, I’m happy to admit, in the sense of getting a popular telly personality at the helm for such an inclusive, big-crowd event. He seemed to go down pretty well.
However, the "tipster session" he did with Sir Bob before race one was so lightweight, it was a wonder it didn’t blow away in the prevailing strong winds. Rampant Ronnie was the tip for race two, for no other reason that it would be nice for the prettiest trainer of them all (Alison Thorpe) to have a winner. Tsk.
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Jeremy Grayson. Son of immigrant. Adoptive father of two. Metadata librarian. Freelance point-to-point / horse racing writer, analyst and commentator wonk. Loves music, buses, cats, the BBC Micro, ale. Advocate of CBT, PACE and therapeutic parenting. Aspergers.
Without recourse to a compass to confirm it we assumed from this that neither straight must be directly west-facing.
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I viewed Google Earth and the ‘Aerial’ has work just underway and it’s not difficult to approximate the line of the home straight. By observation I would suggest that in the straight runners are heading somewhere between SouthWest and WestSouthWest.
‘Sad Anorak’ Rob
and it looks like you are going to be having Tommo calling the races for you.
Yes, Britain’s top light entertainer was very much in evidence.
There was some logic in that booking, I’m happy to admit, in the sense of getting a popular telly personality at the helm for such an inclusive, big-crowd event. He seemed to go down pretty well.
However, the "tipster session" he did with Sir Bob before race one was so lightweight, it was a wonder it didn’t blow away in the prevailing strong winds. Rampant Ronnie was the tip for race two, for no other reason that it would be nice for the prettiest trainer of them all (Alison Thorpe) to have a winner. Tsk.
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To quote one paddock-side racegoer at Musselburgh as Thommo ‘did his piece’ on John Smith’s Day, "Ach, Ah’m away, Ah cannae stand listenin’ tae this numpty!"
Rob
kept waiting for McCoy to show a little initiative on Captain Crackers but he never did.
I think that one may have been amiss – McCoy went from having the proverbial double handful to nothing at all within about a furlong, and the gelding was pulled up and dismounted pretty abruptly.
Did the other races appear to favour speed over stamina?
On the limited evidence of last night, not really. There were some well-run races and there was no hiding place in the first two chases in particular.
One thing that may interest for the first Flat meeting next month is that the straight 6f course has the propensity to be pretty quick. The first furlong and a half takes in a gradual descent before flattening out, and I can quite foresee the early fractions of some races over it being run too fast for the leaders’ own good, enabling later players to capitalise. No more than an initial gut feeling, though, you understand.
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Jeremy Grayson. Son of immigrant. Adoptive father of two. Metadata librarian. Freelance point-to-point / horse racing writer, analyst and commentator wonk. Loves music, buses, cats, the BBC Micro, ale. Advocate of CBT, PACE and therapeutic parenting. Aspergers.
I viewed Google Earth and the ‘Aerial’ has work just underway and it’s not difficult to approximate the line of the home straight. By observation I would suggest that in the straight runners are heading somewhere between SouthWest and WestSouthWest.
‘Sad Anorak’ Rob
Haven’t you got some elbow patches you ought to be sowing onto that?
I think you’re spot on there, as that would mean the sun would have been setting at about one or two o’clock as the runners ran down the straight, and that was exactly what it was doing.
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Jeremy Grayson. Son of immigrant. Adoptive father of two. Metadata librarian. Freelance point-to-point / horse racing writer, analyst and commentator wonk. Loves music, buses, cats, the BBC Micro, ale. Advocate of CBT, PACE and therapeutic parenting. Aspergers.
Great stuff, Roddy.
Well done ………………. and well done Quattrocento!Seconded – nice work! Delighted that Ballyvesey ran kinder this time with the cheekpieces applied, too.
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Jeremy Grayson. Son of immigrant. Adoptive father of two. Metadata librarian. Freelance point-to-point / horse racing writer, analyst and commentator wonk. Loves music, buses, cats, the BBC Micro, ale. Advocate of CBT, PACE and therapeutic parenting. Aspergers.
A new racecourse with a proper stand and good viewing, imagine!
Viewing is superb, although the grandstand just erred on the side of a bit too tightly packed at times. Capacity certainly doesn’t want to be above 10,000 at present.
Big Mac was complaining on ATR yesterday morning that not having the parade ring in front of the stands was a missed trick. I can’t agree, I’m afraid. Market Rasen can get away with such an arrangement, but with Ffos Las being a dual-purpose track containing separate courses for Flat and jumps, last night’s action would have felt very far away had the stands been set back another 15-20 metres or so to accommodate a ring.
As it was, notwithstanding the Flat course in the way, the racecourse still managed to engender a pretty up close and intimate racing experience last night.
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Jeremy Grayson. Son of immigrant. Adoptive father of two. Metadata librarian. Freelance point-to-point / horse racing writer, analyst and commentator wonk. Loves music, buses, cats, the BBC Micro, ale. Advocate of CBT, PACE and therapeutic parenting. Aspergers.
The area was described as "depressed" by Alan lee in the Times. It isnt at all. Reasonable amont of prosperity and any visions of slag heaps, collapsing two up two downs and striking mines will be well wide of the mark
It would be interesting to hear from our residents in the field out there such as Seabird just how upwardly mobile that part of the world is, but if the evidence of what we saw on the drive to and from the course is any guide, I’d also suggest Mr Lee’s a little wide of the mark.
There appears to have been a lot of redevelopment of the area, and no significant blots on the landscape remain that side of Port Talbot. Indeed, Ffos Las Homes seemed to be doing very brisk trade in the immediate environs, and were touting for more on course.
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Jeremy Grayson. Son of immigrant. Adoptive father of two. Metadata librarian. Freelance point-to-point / horse racing writer, analyst and commentator wonk. Loves music, buses, cats, the BBC Micro, ale. Advocate of CBT, PACE and therapeutic parenting. Aspergers.
By observation I would suggest that in the straight runners are heading somewhere between SouthWest and WestSouthWest.
Sunset in the area was 9.40 and bearing in mind the sun sets in the NW in midsummer my estimate from watching the 8.50 race was that the straight trends WSW. That being the case in midwinter when the sun sets in the SW it should be around 10-11 o’clock to the fences so not causing undue problems for chases scheduled between 3 and 4 pm.
It will be head-on at sunset in March and September and as sunset is around 6pm then racing will be over for the afternoon, save for a lonely Bumper perhaps.
I wouldn’t claim to have a great knowledge of the area, Jeremy.
I would say that it has never been a great coal-mining area, there may have been a few in the area but not that many.
That part of Wales has been more agricultural than industrial.
And as it is not far away from the Gower Peninsular it has certainly benefited from tourism over the years.
Colin
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I stayed up to the wee hours of the morning and watched on ATR.
I thoroughly enjoyed every minute of it with Evan getting just reward for suppotring the card. Evan sent out 11 runners, won the first then my old pal Danehill Willy won after an excellent ride from AP. Great Stuff.
A double from Evann a double from Jonjo and AP riding a treble who could ask for more?
Was nice to see names like Jonjo, Nigel T-Davies, Nicky Henderson, Tom George, Michael Hourigan, Peter Bowen.Brendan Powell, Charlie Mann, Jamie Osbourne and a few lesser known trainers adding their support.
As some have mentioned the track looks superb. Look slike a really good galloping track and the fences look perfectly positioned.
With the right sponsorship and good management this course must have a great future. I doubt if even the biggest trainers would object to sending young hurdlers and chasers there. It looks a perfect place to bring good young horses as past of their education and to build confidence.
I hope some of the big sponsors spot the opportunities the place holds for them and we see some top cass horses running there in the future.
Evening meeting on the same day as Royal Ascot isn’t the best place to start but the managemnt probably had little choice in the matter.
Looking forward to the next meeting…..a joy to watch.
The fences are very Worcesteresque in being well-built, well-presented portables which are inviting to jump without being unncessarily easy.
Yes Worcester would be a good comparison, a notch down from the similarities with the ‘Grade 1’ tracks of Newbury and Wetherby.
An ideal replacement for the late lamented Nottingham too perhaps which was a fair Worcester-like track with good though undemanding fences just the job for novice chasers.
With separate hurdle and chase courses I didn’t realise the fences were portable; to the TV eye they appeared to be ‘old fashioned’ with sturdy wooden base staking. Presumably, like Doncaster’s new ostensibly portable fences, they will be shifted laterally along the chase track as and when wear to the take-offs and landings decrees.
However, the "tipster session" he did with Sir Bob before race one was so lightweight, it was a wonder it didn’t blow away in the prevailing strong winds. Rampant Ronnie was the tip for race two, for no other reason that it would be nice for the prettiest trainer of them all (Alison Thorpe) to have a winner. Tsk.
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Bearing in mind he worked a shif here at Ascot in the morning (and he was still here at 1:30) I suspect he had little time to do his homework
With separate hurdle and chase courses I didn’t realise the fences were portable; to the TV eye they appeared to be ‘old fashioned’ with sturdy wooden base staking. Presumably, like Doncaster’s new ostensibly portable fences, they will be shifted laterally along the chase track as and when wear to the take-offs and landings decrees.
I reckon so, and you’re right, they do have a surprisingly proper, traditional look and feel about them for portables.
The four fences in the home straight seem to be covered by barely two and a half furlongs, with a not overlong run-in. There is scope to move each of them a few metres further up the track as the need arises, though presumably not so close to the entrance to the straight to turn four out into Ffos Las’ very own equivalent of Tricky Trevor.
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Jeremy Grayson. Son of immigrant. Adoptive father of two. Metadata librarian. Freelance point-to-point / horse racing writer, analyst and commentator wonk. Loves music, buses, cats, the BBC Micro, ale. Advocate of CBT, PACE and therapeutic parenting. Aspergers.
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