Ffos success for Elliott
Grand National-winning trainer Gordon Elliott carted off with the first major jumps race at Ffos Las as Backstage romped to a 10-length success in the £50,000 freebets.co.uk Handicap Chase.
The legendary Peter O'Sullevan made the long journey across the M4 to officially open the track, which he described as an "historic moment for Welsh horseracing" after the 20th-century losses of Cardiff, Monmouth and Tenby.
With Ireland accounting for nearly one third of the declarations in front of the sellout crowd, a fair proportion of the seven races were up for export, five of which headed across the Irish Sea.
It was big-race mastermind Elliott who struck in the feature for his 22nd British success of the summer to set up another tilt at the John Smith's Grand National next April.
Backstage (15-2), a fine third at Newton Abbot last weekend, coasted clear from two out for a bloodless success under Tom Scudamore.
Elliott, who saddled Silver Birch to Grand National glory in 2007, said: "The Newton Abbot race and this one have been his aims all summer.
"Going a trip with a fast gallop is what he needs and Tom crept away on him.
"If the ground is OK then the plan is the Kerry National next month, and we'll then bring him back in the spring for the Grand National."
Tony McCoy dominated the inaugural jumps fixture two months ago, and picked up where he left off with a near-121-1 treble.
McCoy completed his hat-trick in the £30,000 WD Lewis Handicap Hurdle as Charlie Swan's Valain scored as the 7-2 favourite.
The JP McManus-owned market leader travelled sweetly in midfield and kept on in determined fashion to collect by two and a quarter lengths.
Swan said: "It is great to win here, and the place certainly grows on you.
"He has been a bit frustrating but he is best coming off a fast pace and thankfully they went a good gallop.
"He needs fast ground too, which we haven't been getting at home."
McCoy is by far and away Ffos Las' leading rider, with six wins to his name, and the fourth of those came as Jonjo O'Neill's Foxesbow (5-1) clicked first time over fences in the Keith Lewis Memorial Novices' Handicap Chase.
McCoy said: "Jonjo's horses are flying. It was nice to win but it wasn't a good race.
"He made a few little mistakes but if they all jumped as well as that first time then I would be happy."
O'Neill, sending out his third Ffos Las winner, added: "This is a lucky place for me.
"He has been jumping well at home so we thought we would give him a chance here."
The middle leg of McCoy's three-timer came as Archie Boy overcame an injury scare to resume winning ways in the Shadow Scaffolding Novices' Chase.
Returned to fences after finishing out of the frame over timber at Killarney, the 7-2 chance led heading towards the final fence and denied the rallying 5-2 favourite Rippling Ring by two lengths.
Co Longford-based trainer Paul Flynn said: "He had a stone bruise and the farrier has been with him every day since Monday and has done a great job.
"There is a two-mile novice chase in Listowel in a couple of weeks and I'd be quite bullish about his chance there if the ground is good."
Ruby Walsh made his first ride at Ffos Las a winning one when producing Irish raider Carsonstown Boy (4-1) at the final flight to take the Iwan Thomas Novices' Hurdle.
Jessica Harrington's Just Moscow (5-1) scored in the Gee Construction Mares' Novices' Hurdle to complete Ireland's five-timer.
Keith Goldsworthy put Wales on the scoreboard as 25-1 outsider Cresswell Bubbles landed the Greyfriars Shopping Mares' Standard Open National Hunt Flat Race.
