By Graham Thomas

Welsh pride, generosity, and a love for top sport will all be on show on Sunday, March 5 when Ffos Las Race Course hosts its Proud to be Welsh Raceday.

On the weekend of the St. David’s Day week, the course will offer a chance to celebrate the best of Welsh music, culture and sport as well as an opportunity to support victims of the devastating earthquakes in Turkey and Syria.

Alongside a variety of on-course entertainment, there will be collections and a charity auction – run by the Rotary Club – to raise funds for the Disaster Emergencies Committee Appeal.

A year ago, Welsh horse racing was quick to respond with fundraising for the people of Ukraine after Russia’s invasion and the disaster in southern Turkey and Syria is another outlet for that spirit of Welsh kindness, warmth and generosity.

On the track, there will be a high quality seven race meeting with a twist.

In the lead up to our @DragonBetWales PROUD TO BE WELSH RACEDAY on 5th March, we asked local trainer @TVaughanRacing what makes him proud to be welsh?

Here's what he had to say! pic.twitter.com/o8ViA8dYZ4

— Ffos Las Racecourse (@FfosLasRC) February 14, 2023

All the Welsh jockeys will be wearing Welsh flag armbands, as home jockeys take on the best of the rest.

Wales may have had their struggles in rugby’s Six Nations this year, but as that tournament takes a break before the final weekend, Welsh riders will be carrying the nation’s colours.

In addition to the racing, there will be:

• · Music from two choirs – the award-winning Gwalia Singers Male Voice Choir from Swansea and the Phil Harmonics Ladies Choir from Llanelli. Both will be singing in Welsh and English.
• A live Welsh band – the youthful energy of Dros Dro – playing immediately after the last race to keep the party going.
• Cardiff Symphony Orchestra harpist Mali Hire will be playing in hospitality.
• Popular raceday presenter Deryc Rees will be hosting the day in the parade ring, alongside regular race day presenter Martin Higgs.
• Welsh language children’s entertainer, Crazy Clayton.
• Local craft stalls and food and drink, featuring the very best Welsh produce, including Mumbles Brewery and Three Oaks Distillery from Ammanford, who will be featuring their new lines in rum.
• Free Welsh cakes, supplied by Welsh Cottage Cakes.
• Encouragement and support for Welsh language learners.

Ffos Las general manager Kevin Hire says: “This is going to be a great day’s racing combined with celebrating the very best in Welsh culture, food and music.

“We’re very proud of our Welsh identity at Ffos Las. It makes us distinctive and we enjoy celebrating that identity in a way that is welcoming and accessible to everyone.

“There will be great racing, wonderful music, the best of Welsh crafts and a warm welcome to anyone who wants to come and enjoy hearing god’s language spoken – a living language for us, because so many of our trainers, owners and regular race-goers are themselves Welsh speakers.”

https://twitter.com/FfosLasRC/status/1627232273887121409?s=20

There has been plenty to be proud of in Welsh horse racing in recent years, too. Sean Bowen and David Probert have proved themselves among the elite group of jockeys on the flat and over the jumps, Welsh trainers – such as Evan Williams, Christian Williams and Tim Vaughan – win regularly on Welsh courses and beyond, whilst Ffos Las, Chepstow and Bangor-on-Dee offer round-the-year top class racing.

The Proud to be Welsh Raceday offers a chance to celebrate the best of Welsh racing, Welsh music, Welsh culture and more.

The family day element means all under 18s gain free entry when accompanied by an adult. The gates open at 11.35 am and there are seven races over the jumps, with the first at 1.35.

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