Welsh jockey Sean Bowen is determined to take his quest to become champion jockey right to the final furlong – and hopes Ffos Las Racecourse plays a part. Bowen – who hails from Pembrokeshire – would love nothing better than to bag a few winners at Ffos Las on Easter Sunday, March 31.

Ben Jones described his winner as “a dream come true” as he and Lorcan Williams celebrated two victories for Welsh jockeys at the Cheltenham Festival. Jones’ win came as owner Harry Redknapp enjoyed a first festival winner with Shakem Up’Arry on day three on Thursday.

Sean Bowen insists his chances of riding a winner in the big race on the opening day of the Cheltenham Festival have improved – but admits he still expects State Man to win the Champion Hurdle. The Welsh jockey rides Not So Sleepy in Tuesday’s feature race, which has been denied its biggest draw card in the absent Constitution Hill, last year’s winner.

Dai Burchell, a revered former trainer and one of the most colourful characters in Welsh horse racing, has died at the age of 87. Burchell, who hailed from Ebbw Vale, achieved remarkable success in his career, overseeing the training of over 400 winners from his small stables on a windswept hillside above the Gwent town.

Sean Bowen returns to racing on Thursday, convinced he can still become the first Welsh rider to win the jump jockeys championship for 70 years. Bowen is back in the saddle at Huntingdon, having finally overcome a knee injury he suffered on Boxing Day.

NEW Chepstow clerk of the course Dai Jones says he will continue to use his son, jockey Ben Jones, as a sounding board after moving to his new post from Ffos Las. In something of a transfer window merry-go-round within Arena Racing Company’s racecourses in Wales and the west of England, Jones has moved eastwards to Chepstow to replace Libby O’Flaherty, who has switched to Worcester Racecourse.

Jockey Caoilin Quinn reckoned it was the best day of his life after he turned the Coral Welsh Grand National into a mud-splattered procession on Nassalam. The big race winner capped an afternoon to remember for trainer Gary Moore when showing stamina in abundance to trumph at Chepstow.

If Anyone can do it Again at the Coral Welsh Grand National, it’s Iwilldoit. If Iwilldoit wins the Coral Welsh Grand National at Chepstow on December 27, then look out for 25 co-owners celebrating like they’re keen to make up for lost time.

WELSH bookie James Lovell reckons everyone remembers their first time. For him, his maiden Welsh Grand National at Chepstow arrived early at around the age of five.

Janet Davies has paid tribute to her late husband Peter, and the support received from trainer Evan Williams and his staff, after earning her 100th winner as an owner. Minella Missile gave Janet her century mark with a debut victory under rules in the recent Trustatrader Novices’ Hurdle at Cheltenham.

Welsh jockeys have crowned their own champion in Connor Brace and helped raise £15,000 for Welsh children’s cancer charity, Latch. Brace – whose younger brother Max plays rugby for the Ospreys Academy – won the Welsh Jump Jockeys’ Derby last weekend at Chepstow Racecourse.

Welsh jockey Richard Patrick is celebrating a home success after winning the DragonBet Welsh Champion Hurdle on board Nemean Lion at Ffos Las. On a weekend when there was contrasting fortunes for Wales’ national rugby and football teams, Patrick tilted the balance in home nation favour on Sunday by winning the country’s biggest jump race after the Welsh Grand National.

The DragonBet Welsh Champion Hurdle will take centre stage at Ffos Las on Sunday as the climax of three days’ racing across Wales. The £50,000 race – which forms part of Gentlemen’s Day at the course – will celebrate its 102nd running, the culmination of the return of the jump season after two days of meetings at Chepstow.

Kitty’s Light – and jockey Jack Tudor – have been made favourites to win a Friday test of the best among the top Welsh riders. Wales’ leading jockeys will battle it out in their own Unibet Jump Jockeys’ Derby as part of the two-day season opener at Chepstow Racecourse this weekend.

Welsh jockey Alan Johns will saddle up for the Loch Ness Marathon on Sunday – less than 48 hours after he hopes to ride a monster winner at Worcester. Johns will catch a flight from Bristol – and a fast car – to the Scottish Highlands in order to raise funds for Latch, the Welsh children’s cancer charity.

Lindsay Knox is prepared to go the extra mile as the new general manager at Chepstow Racecourse. That’s in keeping, as she once raised thousands of pounds for charity by sledging 250 kilometres (155 miles) across the Arctic Circle.

Sean Bowen has half a dozen more opportunities to put some distance between himself and Brian Hughes at the top of the Jump Jockeys Championship at Ffos Las on Thursday. The Welsh jockey currently leads the way, having ridden 20 winners so far this season, which runs from the start of May to the end of next April.

Adam Wedge will bide his time before he bids to nose past Sean Bowen and become the leading all-time jockey at Ffos Las Racecourse. The Vale of Glamorgan-based Wedge was neck-and-neck with Bowen in the race to overtake the legendary AP McCoy, who led the way at the Carmarthenshire track with 69 winners at the venue before his retirement in 2015.

Welsh jockey David Probert is set for a swift return to action having escaped serious injury when kicked by a horse at Windsor on Monday night. The incident occurred in the parade ring before the 5.35pm race where Probert – nicknamed The Bargoed Bullet – was due to ride Bits And Bobs for trainer Andrew Balding.

DragonBet on-course bookmaker James Lovell gives the inside track on Welsh sport – what’s hot, what’s not, and who’s the talk of the betting ring. Bookmaking is a strange business and sometimes you’re happy when you lose. We’ve all heard the saying, “You never see a bookie on a bike.”