Ffos Las Course Guide

A left-handed track, essentially galloping in nature. Approximately a mile and a half in extent, the course is very flat and fair, with a long home straight, including an extension to enable a straight track for races over five and six furlongs.

I’ve never ridden at Ffos Las, but all the current jocks tell me it’s a good, fair, honest course, with no kinks or ridges. There don’t seem to be any obvious quirks about it, viewed from the stands at least, and I’ve not spotted any great bias, either regarding the draw or across-the-track pace. They always seem to go a sensible gallop there, which suggests the configuration is straightforward enough, but I have noticed they tend to race up the middle, rather than stick to the rails, when the going gets soft.

View from the saddle: Jason Weaver

A wide, galloping, left-handed circuit of 1½ miles, with a straight of just over 4f. It has no undulations but a very slight rise over the course of the back straight and the opposite in the home straight. There are short run-ins for both hurdles and chases, though it is in essence a fair track, with the chase course providing a good test of jumping. Field sizes tend to be on the small side.

I walked the course at Ffos Las on the day it opened for racing and there’s no doubt about it - it’s a beautiful set-up, you can’t help being impressed. I don’t think it gets the backing from some people that it deserves, because all the current jocks - Flat and jumps - say good things about it. The jumping lads reckon the fences are a fair test - not too stiff, but no pushover - and it’s grand to ride. The one worry about it is that the going can become extreme. When it gets properly soft, it can be really hard work.

View from the saddle: Mick Fitzgerald