IT’S been a good seven days for Welsh racing – on and off the track.

Last Saturday, just under 8,000 people packed into Ffos Las near Llanelli to see Madness play live after racing, it was the second highest attendance at the course since it opened in 2009 (the band play at Chepstow Racecourse on Saturday, 8th June).

Racecourses are now a regular provider of live music concerts and, as many readers will know, Chepstow has hosted a large number, including Tom Jones, UB40, Simply Red and Jools Holland.

They are an important part of our business model these days. All Saints are playing on Ladies Evening at Chepstow on Friday, 12th July.

Last Saturday’s meeting at Ffos Las was a good one for Pembrokeshire trainer David Rees who had two winners. Buck Bravo took the opening hurdle under Ffos Las ambassador Sean Bowen and the ten-year-old Gone Platinum won the penultimate race for jockey Lorcan Williams.

Gone Platinum has run nine times since January and has won four times and been second three times – a very consistent horse.

There was an unusual statistic in the penultimate race - every horse was trained by a Welsh trainer and six out of the seven riders were Welsh!

Trainer David Rees’ weekend continued in great form when Gardiners Hill won at Uttoxeter on Sunday with Pembrokeshire jockey James Bowen in the saddle. Last Thursday, Shirenewton trainer Grace Harris had a winner at Chepstow’s afternoon meeting with her filly Bungee Jumper ridden by Rossa Ryan.

We are now in the middle of a busy programme of racing across South Wales.

The next meeting at Ffos Las is the Wales Air Ambulance Charity Night on Thursday, 6th June, and two days later on Saturday, 8th June, its Madness Race Night at Chepstow. On Friday, 14th June, Chepstow hosts a ‘Gin and Jazz’ Race Day with jazz band The Hipcats playing during the afternoon.

On Thursday, 20th June (evening), Ffos Las celebrates its tenth anniversary and tickets are – of course – £10 in advance. There is live music during and after racing from the fabulous Valli Boys and a great Tom Jones tribute.

On Monday, 24th June, there is an afternoon meeting at Chepstow with tickets ‘two for one’ in advance – that’s two tickets for £20. Racing starts from 2pm.