There was no shortage of Welsh winners at Ffos Las last week as the home team ended their mini-drought at the Carmarthenshire track.
Unusually, there had been no Welsh successes at the course’s previous two meetings. But they put that right in some style, with a haul of four winners across the two day-meeting.
Christopher Mason led the way with two of them. And it was something of a family affair, as All Ways Glamorous was followed into the winner’s enclosure a day later by his full brother Forever Glamorous.
Both were winning five-furlong sprints and both were ridden by Gina Mangan.
Nikki Evans, who trains in Pandy near Monmouth, was on the mark with Angel’s Call, while her near neighbour Thomas Faulkner won a staying handicap courtesy of Golden Flame.
But the meeting really belonged to Billy Loughnane. The 20-year-old did his prospects of a first Flat jockeys’ title no harm by bagging no fewer than five winners across the two days, the first day of which was carried over from the previous week when racing was called off on safety grounds because of the intense heat that swept across the UK.
All five of his successes were for different trainers – his father Mark, George Boughey, Oli Rix, David Menuisier and Ian Williams.
The next meeting at Ffos Las is on Tuesday, July 14.
Wales’ trainers carried their good form from Ffos Las into the remainder of the week, with plenty of winners across the length of the country.
Grace Harris has her string in good order and had winners both on the flat and over jumps.
Her progressive six-year-old Lion of the Desert (photographed) won his third race since joining her yard last autumn – the other two were at Ffos Las – when taking a staying handicap hurdle at Stratford. He may now be aimed at a £30,000 contest at Cartmel later this month.
A day later Harris was on the board at Bath as Nakaaha broke his duck for 2026 when landing a mile handicap under David Egan.
Mason wasn’t done for the week either. Another Glamorous – this time Truly Glamorous – was successful at Newbury in a sprint handicap, a race the yard appears to excel in.
Sean Bowen’s busy week saw him ride winners at Stratford, Worcester, Perth and Market Rasen. Porth-born jockey Callum Pritchard was also on the scoresheet at Market Rasen, taking a two-and-a-half mile handicap hurdle on Makinbecon for Carmarthenshire-based trainer Barry Murphy.
It was a productive few days for Pritchard, who made his trip to Newton Abbot worthwhile as he partnered Saucats to success in a novices’ handicap hurdle.
Wales’ top Flat jockey David Probert is fast approaching the 30-winner mark for the season, He followed up a midweek success at Epsom on board Wise and Wonderful for Andrew Balding with a double on Saturday at Leicester.
He opened his account on Amelia’s Joy in a fillies’ handicap, then won the last race on the card on odds-on shot Melissa Honey. Both winners were for trainer Michael Herrington.
