Racecourse under starter's orders

By Nick Parry BBC News

Work has started on the grandstand, one of the last buildings to go up

As the runners and riders line up for the Welsh Grand National at Chepstow, a new racecourse is preparing for its opening day next summer, 80 miles west in Carmarthenshire.

On 18 June Ffos Las will become the first turf track to open in the UK for more than 80 years.

Built on 600 acres on a former opencast site between Llanelli and Carmarthen, almost £30m will have been spent.

Dai Walters, the millionaire behind the development, is confident it will quickly become established as one of the best in the country, and he has described it as a gift to Wales.

The track, along with parade ring and infrastructure, are in place.

Construction of the 120 horse stable block is well underway and the grandstand is slowly starting to take shape.

I would rate this as one of the top five racecourses in the country Dai Walters

Mr Walters, who started a plant hire, civil engineering and earthworks company in 1982, said: "Once we had planning it was like building a motorway - you just get on and get it done."

It will stage eight flat and jump meetings in 2009 and 16 the following year.

It is hoped up to 4,000 punters will turn up for night fixtures and as many as 8,000 for weekend meetings.

Several big name trainers including Peter Bowen are based in west Wales and with the ferry links between Pembrokeshire and Ireland, the aim is to attract Irish trainers as well.

"They want to come here and will come here," said Mr Walters, who owns 30 race horses himself.

"I would rate this as one of the top five racecourses in the country.

"It's a big long galloping track and we were very determined to have it as one of the top tracks. We have done everything to get that and I think everybody will be impressed when they run their horses here.

"The bends are right, the cambers are right, everything is right.

The race course has been built on a former opencast mine Enlarge Image

"Good horses are very expensive. They will come here because this is one of the safest galloping tracks in the country."

Over 100 staff will be needed on race days and Mr Walters said the benefits to the wider community would be great.

The fact it is created on an open cast site that once employed hundreds of miners before it finally closed a decade ago is not lost on him.

"I wanted to do something for Wales," he said.

"Steel and coal is very quiet. All that is left in Wales at the moment is for tourists.

"They are telling me that a lot of the local hotels are booked already - it's good for the community."

He is confident that Irish punters will also travel to meetings.

"With the pound against the Euro now, I want them to be spending it in Ffos Las.

"I'm really excited and proud it's in Wales."

Ffos Las will be managed by Northern Racing, which operates nine other courses in the UK, including Hereford, Sedgefield, Newcastle and Chepstow, which is home to the Welsh Grand National.

"One day we will have the Welsh Grand National here," Mr Walters confidently predicted.

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