Tag Archive for: Ffos Las

Juby gets the Ball rolling with impressive jumping bow

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Evan Williams was delighted to get the show on the road with the talented Juby Ball after he impressed on his belated hurdling debut at Ffos Las.

Owned by Williams’ long-time backers the Ruckers, the six-year-old had looked a useful proposition when winning a bumper at the track in November 2023 and lost nothing in defeat when bumping into the well-regarded Sixmilebridge at Sandown in that sphere last February.

He was due to return to the Esher track to make his hurdling bow in Listed company in December before suffering problems getting to the South London venue on a weekend when strong winds battered the country.

Finally stepping out on course for the DragonBet Supporting British Racing Maiden Hurdle, he was sent off at 5-1 in the hands of Adam Wedge and having been up with the pace throughout, looked a cut above his rivals as he galloped clear after the last for a four-length success.

Williams said: “He’s a nice horse and the weather has been against us, he’s been entered a few times and we’ve lost the meetings to the frost.

“We would have started him at Sandown but we couldn’t get there, so it has been a long time coming and we’re very grateful they have put this meeting on. It was nice to get the job done.

“Oh, I don’t know where he will slot into things and at the end of the day, this is only a starting point. I was aiming for the Listed race because it was a small field and that would have been a nice start.

“I don’t know where we’ll end up but he’s a nice raw horse who has a certain amount of ability. Where that’ll take us, I don’t know, we just hope he is lucky because he is a very nice horse.”

There was a shock in the DragonBet Born From The Betting Ring Maiden Hurdle as Neil Mulholland’s Elysian Knight edged out fellow outsider Mountain Mike to strike at 40-1.

Keep Running was in the winner's enclosure once again
Keep Running was in the winner’s enclosure once again (David Davies/PA)

Meanwhile, 100-30 favourite Keep Running did just as his name suggests to see off top-weight Sir Psycho and follow up his Ludlow win in November in the Download The DragonBet App Handicap Chase.

Winning trainer Warren Greatrex said: “He seems to be improving fairly fast and that was the best race he’s run in and he was very impressive, I thought.

“He jumped right-handed at times and it is the first time he has gone left-handed for me. I think we will probably have to go back right-handed but he loves his jumping and he handled that ground well and he’s a very likeable horse with not many miles on the clock – I would expect him to keep on improving.

“That was very pleasing and he’s a horse who since I’ve had him, I’ve always liked. Just last year, he wasn’t finishing his races as I liked and I was pretty sure there was an underlying wind issue, which we got sorted in the summer and he’s just turned the corner since then.

“I’m not sure what happened at Carlisle (on his reappearance) but his win at Ludlow was impressive and this was equally impressive in a better race, so I’m chuffed to bits and I would say he has a bright future going forward.”

Olly Murphy and Sean Bowen combined with Dangerous Touch (9-2) in division one of the DragonBet Still Best Odds Guaranteed Handicap Hurdle, while the concluding DragonBet Real People, Real Bookmakers Open National Hunt Flat Race went the way of Dan Skelton’s 6-5 favourite Giantsgrave.

Jamie Snowden enjoyed a quickfire double in between those races with 3-1 favourite Double Click, partnered by Will Featherstone, and 7-1 chance Up For Parol, the mount of Gavin Sheehan.



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No weather problems for Towton card at Ffos Las

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This afternoon’s meeting at Ffos Las has been given the go-ahead, meaning Saturday jumping action returns in Britain after a blank afternoon last weekend.

Officials announced a precautionary raceday inspection on Friday due to “vagaries in the forecast”, but were happily able to give the all-clear well before the scheduled 7.30am check.

The fixture is an additional one announced earlier in the week by the British Horseracing Authority, with the aim of giving National Hunt racing the best chance of taking place in the current cold snap.

The DragonBet Towton Novices’ Chase – moved from the Wetherby card lost to the weather – is the highlight at 1.15.

Good news, too, in Ireland, with the meeting at Fairyhouse on after passing a 7.30am inspection.

The SBK Dan & Joan Moore Memorial Handicap Chase is the main event there at 1.45.

Chelmsford’s all-weather Flat fixture is also on after surviving two inspections. The course was hit by freezing fog this morning, but the all-clear was given at 10.30, with sunny spells forecast.



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Pauling confident Handstands can thrive at Towton trip

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Ben Pauling is unconcerned about dropping in trip with Handstands ahead of the rescheduled Dragonbet Towton Novices’ Chase at Ffos Las.

Pauling had intended to run his Esher Novices’ Chase winner at Warwick in the Hampton Novices’ Chase, with Personal Ambition slated for the Towton at its original home of Wetherby.

The weather put paid to those intentions, however, and after plenty of discussion, it is Handstands who gets to strut his stuff and hopefully book his place in the Scilly Isles Novices’ Chase at Sandown next month.

“It’s great there is at least one option and we’re delighted Ffos Las is on. It was a bit of a headscratcher who we were going to run where and when, but ultimately we are thinking we’d like to go to the Scilly Isles with Handstands,” said Pauling.

Handstands powers away to win at Sandown
Handstands powers away to win at Sandown (John Walton/PA)

“The decision came down to whether we ran here on the way to the Scilly Isles or just waited, but hopefully he’ll take this race well – and if he doesn’t, we’ll have to have another think about where we go.

“I just thought this gave him another opportunity to win a nice race and that is the decision we made.

“He won over three miles last time and this is two and a half but he won a Sidney Banks last season, he’s not a slow horse by any stretch.

“Dan’s (Skelton) horse Cherie d’Am looks the biggest danger but she’s got a penalty and I think he should be up to it.”

Henry Daly's giant Hillcrest is on a retrieval mission
Henry Daly’s giant Hillcrest is on a retrieval mission (Simon Marper/PA)

Henry Daly’s Hillcrest continues on his comeback trail. A smart novice hurdler in the 2021-22 season, he was off for 981 days before his encouraging first run of the season at Haydock but was pulled up at Cheltenham last time out when his jumping fell apart.

Daly told Sky Sports Racing: “His jumping wasn’t too bad first time, when he just got in a muddle a couple of times, but in the second run at Cheltenham, he definitely got in a muddle with the speed and pace and, I think, the aggressiveness of the race.

“Nicky Henderson was talking about it the other day that these top-class horses, all of them, when going novice chasing, they need time to develop into the game of jumping fences.

“They don’t all do it naturally first time out, it’s not that straightforward, they need opportunities to come for them to help them learn their trade – he’s learning his trade.”

Regarding this test, he added: “Ffos Las can be very soft, so I hope the two and a half miles will suit him well on this kind of ground.”

The meeting needs to survive a 7.30am precautionary inspection.



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Towton moved to new fixture at Ffos Las this weekend

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The Grade Two Towton Novices’ Chase will be run at Ffos Las on Saturday, after the British Horseracing Authority announced two additional fixtures in light of the continued cold weather.

With officials at Wetherby making an early decision to abandon this weekend’s Towton meeting and high-profile cards at Kempton and Warwick also under threat, the BHA has moved to ensure some National Hunt action will take place following a blank Saturday last week.

Ffos Las is now due to stage a seven-race card with the ability to divide to eight, with the Towton Novices’ Chase the feature having been saved. Entries will close at 12pm on Thursday, with declarations to be made by 10am on Friday.

A BHA statement read: “The track at Ffos Las is currently raceable and offered the most realistic opportunity to get a jumps fixture on, with the latest forecast giving the fixture every chance of going ahead.

“While we are aware there remains an element of risk that adverse weather may result in these conditions changing, we feel it is important to put an opportunity in place to help provide jumps racing for participants and customers on Saturday afternoon.”

An additional afternoon all-weather meeting at Chelmsford has also been added, while Newcastle’s card that was previously scheduled to begin at 3.50pm will be brought forward approximately two hours to an earlier start time.

Freezing temperatures have decimated the racing programme in recent days. Taunton was a rare survivor on Wednesday, but Thursday’s meetings at Catterick and Newbury have been abandoned and scheduled cards at Doncaster and Huntingdon on Friday have also fallen by the wayside.

Wetherby’s clerk of the course Jonjo Sanderson said that prospects of racing in West Yorkshire on Saturday were “slimmer than me” earlier in the week, and he faced a straightforward decision following a 3.30pm inspection on Wednesday.

Sanderson said: “We’ve got snow, we’re frozen and we’re waterlogged, so it wasn’t a difficult decision!

“There’s still a huge amount of snow on the back straight particularly and we’ve also got widespread waterlogging down the back straight which over the past couple of days has slowly frozen over.

“Last night we had temperatures of minus 3.5C, so we’ve got ice that’s half an inch thick and basically an enormous frozen lake in the back straight.

“Underneath that you’ve still got water sitting on the track, so we need the ice to thaw, the water to drain and all that has got to happen before Saturday in temperatures of minus 5C, which is largely impossible.”

Warwick’s Classic Chase meeting on Saturday is also under serious threat, with an inspection called for 8am on Thursday. The course was unraceable on Wednesday due to areas of surface water on the hurdle track and frozen areas on the chase track.

No inspection has been announced at this stage ahead of a Kempton card featuring the Grade Two Silviniaco Conti Chase, but the track is forecast between three and five centimetres of snow on Wednesday night followed by three successive nights of sub-zero temperatures.



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Ffos Las happy to Roll With It amid Oasis mania

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DragonBet have reacted to the news of Oasis reforming by producing a series of topical race titles for their sponsored meeting at Ffos Las on Thursday.

Fans of the iconic band will no doubt be going ‘mad for it’ when tickets go on sale for next summer’s concerts around Britain and Ireland this weekend, and racegoers have been given an early chance to get in the mood.

The Welsh betting firm have renamed the first of their contests the DragonBet Some Might Lay Nursery Handicap and continue the theme with the Half A Furlong Away Handicap.

Top of the pops for many punters will be the Champagne Super Novice Stakes, which is followed by the Foal With It Handicap and the Ride Away Handicap.

DragonBet spokesperson James Lovell said: “We’re an independent firm that likes to do things a bit differently, so we thought we’d have a bit of fun with these titles.

“Like everyone else, we were blown away by the Oasis news and it’s great that their first concerts are set to take place at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff.

“I was a student at Salford University and got a real feel for the Manchester music scene while I was there, so nobody is more excited than me to see them get back together.

“We probably spent more time than we should have coming up with the race names and no doubt there are some more that people will say we could have used, but they are all great songs and it was really enjoyable going through them.

“We do a lot of sponsorship at Ffos Las and it’s always nice to have a bit of fun going there – although if anyone wants to swap some Oasis tickets for our pitch at the track, any offers will be considered.

“The only issue we have is that there is an inspection planned for 7.30am to see if the meeting can take place due to the recent rain, so it’s a case of racing ‘definitely maybe’ going ahead!”



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Team Mullins already plotting another title challenge if successful

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Patrick Mullins has warned Britain’s leading yards that his father Willie may well aim for back-to-back victories in the jump trainers’ championship if topping the table this term.

The Closutton camp added a rather modest £4,356.80 to their tally when Patrick partnered 2-9 favourite Rath Gaul Boy to an easy success in the Dragonbet Best Odds On Welsh Sport Novices’ Hurdle at Ffos Las.

But that win showed that having already passed the £3million mark with Grand National victories at Aintree and Ayr to build up a sizeable lead over Dan Skelton and Paul Nicholls, Mullins is clearly keen to take nothing for granted.

And if he becomes only the second trainer based in Ireland to claim the UK title, the inspiration is there to push on for a second straight success.

“Myself, Ruby (Walsh) and David (Casey) would love it to be the plan from the start of the season, but Willie is always very much like mind your own garden and don’t let anyone get a foothold at home and do your best there,” Patrick Mullins told Sky Sports Racing.

“The only reason this became possible is because I Am Maximus won the National, if he hadn’t won the National, we wouldn’t be here and we wouldn’t have been at Ayr. It’s half a million, so we’d be fourth.

“So that changed things and we’ve been blown away by the support. People have been saying if you want to send a horse to Ffos Las or Ludlow or wherever, then do that. We’re very grateful for that.

“But Vincent O’Brien did it in the 1950s and he did it two years in a row, so if we do win it, maybe we’ll have to come back next year and emulate him! Although to emulate anything Vincent O’Brien did would be very special, because he is the legend.”

Randox Grand National 2024 – Grand National Day – Aintree Racecourse
Paul Townend aboard I Am Maximus after winning the Aintree Grand National (David Davies for the Jockey Club).

Manchester United fan Mullins was at Wembley on Saturday to watch the Red Devils reach the FA Cup final by getting past Coventry, but he took note of how they blew a 3-0 lead and came within a whisker of being knocked out in extra-time before prevailing on penalties.

Nicholls famously overturned a big deficit on the final day at Sandown when the Closutton team were last in pole position to top the table back in 2016.

“We went to Sandown before on the last day and we’ve been here before and we didn’t win, but hopefully this time we can,” added Patrick.

“The bid for the English title has really livened everything up for us at Closutton as well and we’re really enjoying it. I’m delighted to be in Ffos Las, I was delighted to be in Ayr and I can’t wait to be going to Ludlow on Wednesday.

Scottish Grand National 2024 – Ayr Racecourse – Saturday 20th April
Willie Mullins with Scottish National winner Macdermott (Robert Perry/PA).

“I haven’t seen a lot of these tracks, so it’s exciting and hopefully we can get it over the line.

“People have been very kind, we were up in Ayr and the crowd were so welcoming and very supportive of us.

“I remember when Man United used to win everything and everyone wanted to beat them, so there is that side of things when you’re successful, but Willie’s always said you take nothing for granted and you don’t know when things can change, so enjoy it while you can.

“We got the bounce of the ball in Ayr, where we got two photo-finishes. Macdermott could have been second and Chosen Witness could have been second, so that would have changed the whole thing again.”



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Leicester and Ffos Las fail to beat the weather

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Leicester’s meeting on Thursday and Friday’s fixture at Ffos Las have both been called off due to waterlogged tracks.

An inspection was called for 4.15pm on Wednesday at Leicester but areas of false ground left officials with no option.

Ffos Las officials were able to make their decision even earlier. An inspection was held on Wednesday morning and after heavy rain, the venue was not fit for action.

The track said on X: “Due to 70 millimetres of rain in the last seven days and with further rain forecast, racing on Friday 16th February has been abandoned.”

Thursday’s fixture at Newcastle must also survive an 8am inspection. The going is heavy and further rain is forecast overnight, while Clonmel’s meeting is also in doubt.

Clerk of the course Lorcan Wyer will inspect at 7.30am with overnight rain forecast on already heavy ground.



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Waterlogging claims Ffos Las card

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Friday’s meeting at Ffos Las has been called off due to a waterlogged track.

Officials inspected the course on Wednesday morning and after heavy rain, the venue is not fit for action.

The track tweeted: “Due to 70 millimetres of rain in the last seven days and with further rain forecast, racing on Friday 16th February has been abandoned.”

Thursday’s fixtures at Newcastle and Leicester are also subject to inspections.

Newcastle will check conditions at 8am on raceday, with the course reported to be heavy with further rain expected, while Leicester inspect at 4.15pm on Wednesday with areas of waterlogging reported.

Wednesday’s meeting at Fontwell did get the go-ahead following an 8am inspection.



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Southwell abandoned but Cheltenham all set to race

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The New Year’s Day National Hunt meeting at Southwell has been abandoned due to a waterlogged track, but no obvious issues are expected at Cheltenham.

Southwell was hit by 15 millimetres of rain overnight, on top of 36mm since Christmas, leaving standing water in places and some areas of false ground on the bends.

Following no improvement throughout Sunday morning, and with further rain forecast, racing was called off after a 1pm inspection.

Cheltenham’s Relkeel Hurdle card is set to be run on testing ground but the track is in good shape to cope.

Clerk of the course Jon Pullin said: “We had 15mm overnight and updated the ground this morning to heavy, so far today we’ve just had another couple and there is nothing too much more in the forecast.

“There are still some showers around for today but nothing of too much volume and we should then be dry overnight and dry in the morning.

“There are some showers around tomorrow but most forecasts are suggesting heavier showers after racing – we might just get one or two lighter showers during racing.

“Certainly, at the moment everything is OK, unless we get any surprises later on, then we don’t anticipate any issues.”

An early decision was made regarding Wednesday’s fixture at Ffos Las, where there is also standing water in places.

The Welsh track received 31mm of rain over the last few days and 70mm during the past week, with the risk of another band to come.

Sunday’s New Year’s Eve jumps meetings at Uttoxeter and Warwick both had to be abandoned due to waterlogged tracks.

Each venue had called early-morning inspections due to poor weather forecasts and their worst fears were realised.

Uttoxeter was hit by a further 10.5mm of rain on saturated ground, leaving the course unraceable, with standing water in places.

Warwick brought forward their inspection following 20mm of rain overnight, which made it 54.5mm since last Monday and left the track waterlogged.



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Endless Escape continues winning run for Ben Clarke

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Endless Escape has earned herself a rise in class next month by bringing up a hat-trick at Ffos Las as jump racing returned on Monday following the big freeze.

A winner of both starts since joining Ben Clarke, the 5-2 shot had to concede 5lb to the 8-15 favourite Vicki Vale in the Download The Vickers.Bet App Novices’ Hurdle and it was the market principles who fought out the finish with the winner keeping on well to strike by two lengths.

She will now be stepped up in trip for a Sandown Grade Two on February 16, with her handler believing there will be plenty more improvement to be seen at two and a half miles.

“We were delighted with her,” said Clarke. “We were hoping she would run nicely today to earn herself a crack at the Sandown Grade Two (Weatherbys Cheltenham Festival Betting Guide Jane Seymour Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle) next month.

“The Skelton horse (Vicki Vale) in the race was clearly a smart horse judged on her Hereford run and we’re absolutely delighted, especially giving the runner-up 5lb as well.

“She will only ever do as much as she has to, she’s quite workmanlike. There is certainly more to come and she will be better for a step up in trip as well.”

He went on: “She has proven herself on three very different tracks the last three times and in different ground as well.

“She’s a proper staying two-miler in stiff conditions, but really she wants two and a half and I think that’ll bring out more improvement which will obviously be needed stepping up in Grade. She’s a smart mare going in the right direction.”

Hercules Morse (100-30) opened his account at the third attempt to win division one of the Best Odds Guaranteed At Vickers.Bet Everyday Maiden Hurdle with Ben Pauling tentatively highlighting Sandown’s EBF Final as an option for his strapping five-year-old.

“He’s a lovely, great big individual who will want plenty of time,” said the winning trainer.

Trainer Ben Pauling was in the winner's enclosure at Ffos Las on Monday
Trainer Ben Pauling was in the winner’s enclosure at Ffos Las on Monday (Mike Egerton/PA)

“I’m not saying he doesn’t have ability because he clearly has. He lugged slightly right there today and won despite that, but he’s a lovely horse for next year and beyond really.

“He’s a classy horse, he moves well and he’s got everything is in the right place, but he’s doing well to be doing what he’s doing at the moment considering his size.

“We might look at something like the EBF Final with him, but he’s not going to be thrown in at the real deep end anytime soon.”

Nick Schofield registered his first winner since returning from injury when partnering Jonjo O’Neill’s Regal Blue (4-1) to victory in the second division, while Dan Skelton’s Real Stone (8-1) won the Vickers.Bet Independent Family Owned Bookmaker Handicap Chase.

The most valuable race of the day went the way of Nigel Twiston-Davies’ Equinus (5-2) who built on some smart novice form to take the Vickers.Bet Handicap Hurdle when stepping up in trip on his handicap bow.

“I was very pleased with him and he’s improved with every run. He’s done it really nicely and it’s great to be back racing again,” said Twiston-Davies.

“We may try to get EBF qualified and go for the Final at Sandown, that seems the sensible thing to do if we have enough time.”



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