One of Ffos Las’ favourite sons has finally found the winning formula away from West Wales.
Zambezi Magic (photographed) has won seven times at his beloved Ffos Las but has not tasted victory elsewhere since winning as a three-year-old at Haydock in August 2020.
Back then he was trained by Clive Cox, but all his wins since have been achieved in Carmarthenshire while under the care of Bernard Llewellyn.
But he broke that sequence last week when landing his first success of 2026 at Chepstow’s Bank Holiday meeting. Zambezi Magic, now trained by Llewellyn and his grandson Robert Williams, had everything in his favour – the trip of 10 furlongs and ease in the ground – but was sent off the 20-1 outsider in a field of five.
He took up the running around a mile from home and saw off a number of challengers to prevail by a neck under William Cox.
Welsh trainer David Evans saddled the favourite Meet Me In Meraki in that contest but had to settle for second. However, he had been on the mark earlier in the card when
Level Up made all the running to take a sprint handicap.
It was a successful day for those who operate close to Chepstow, with Thomas Faulkner and Grace Harris bagging both divisions of the seven-furlong handicap. The victory of A Rose Adaay provided Harris with her 19th flat winner of the year to go with the 10 successes she has enjoyed over jumps. It has made 2026, numerically, her most successful year since taking out a licence.
David Probert has been in fine form of late and recorded one of the longest-priced winners of his career at the tail end of last week when steering 80-1 shot Mehmas Champion to a neck success over 10 furlongs at Haydock.
Buoyed by that unexpected success, the in-form Bargoed product then landed a mile-and-a-half Heritage handicap at Ascot on Saturday on Turty Tree. The first prize of more than £50,000 was a significant boost to Andrew Balding’s ambitions of landing a first trainers’ title.
On the jumping front, leading Welsh trainer Mickey Bowen has revealed he is set to relocate his operation to Worcestershire.
Bowen has enjoyed a fine start to the 2026-27 campaign and his 26 winners have helped him to second spot in the trainers’ title race behind Dan Skelton. He is moving from his current base in Haverfordwest to Tyre Hill Stables, which used to be the base for David Dennis.
He says the switch will allow him to be closer to the major jumps tracks in the UK.
The Bowens were in form at the Bangor-on-Dee meeting on Friday, with Mickey and
brother James teaming up to win a three-mile handicap chase with the rapidly improving Tamarind Bay. James doubled up on Limerick Leader for Nick Scholfield, while fellow Welsh jockey Jack Tudor scored on Prettylady.
Sean, meanwhile, combined with Mickey at Worcester to win a handicap chase courtesy of Dexperts Opinion.
The next meeting at Ffos Las is on Monday, September 21 when the course stages a flat card. There’s also a flat fixture on Sunday 27th September when tickets are ‘two for one’ and children go free (17 and under)
