SBC News Voice of the Sports Betting Industry
Arena Racing Company (ARC) has announced the acquisition of Ffos Las Racecourse, with the Carmarthenshire course becoming the fifteenth racecourse in the ARC portfolio.
The Carmarthenshire course opened in 2009 and was, at the time, the first new racecourse in Britain in over 80 years.
A flat oval, a mile and a half around, Ffos Las hosts a total of 19 fixtures in 2018, six flat and thirteen jumps. Feature races include the Ladbrokes Welsh Champion Hurdle in October as well as the West Wales National, which takes place during Easter.
ARC Chief Executive Martin Cruddace said: “We are delighted to welcome Ffos Las Racecourse into ARC, and that Dai Walters will stay on as Honorary Chairman of the racecourse.
“As racecourses face escalating costs, together with uncertainty in retail media rights, we believe scale is now more important than ever. Equally, we will continue to closely consult with horsemen to make sure our expanding business continues to increase the value of the stakeholder experience.”
Dai Walters added: “My association with the creation and delivery of Ffos Las Racecourse is something that I am very proud of, and I will continue to support the further development of the facility by remaining as the Honorary Chairman.
“Ffos Las has provided a stage for Welsh racing to display their racing excellence and encouraged people to visit this beautiful part of west Wales. The facility has provided employment to the area and boosted the local economy. Ffos Las achieved record attendances in 2017 since opening in 2009.
“The acquisition by ARC will allow Ffos Las to expand through utilising the knowledge and expertise gained from its other racecourses. They will be able to draw on other fixtures which have always been an issue for us, and provide more non-racing opportunities, through staging large music concerts.
“This is a very exciting new chapter with many opportunities for Ffos Las Racecourse to pursue.”
