Marseille Vivaux Tips and Racecourse Guide
Marseille Vivaux, more formally known as Marseille Pont De Vivaux, is a popular all-weather flat and trotting track located near the city centre of Marseille.
Racing began in 1927 at Vivaux and included a jumps course in a figure of eight. The flat racing has since moved to polytrack and the whole racecourse benefitted from significant works in 1990 that led to the creation of the panoramic restaurant and the installation of floodlights.
The floodlights are key to the product that Marseille offers international bettors today, which is quite frankly moderate flat handicaps and claimers.
The course resembles Chester, a tight left-handed ring with a very short home straight. Hard luck stories are the order of the day, so it helps to side with horses drawn low over shorter distances. Keen-going horses love the ‘always turning’ nature of the course and can enjoy themselves out the front.
Subsequent Group One winner Skalleti won the 2019 renewal of the Grand Prix de Marseille Vivaux and has won all three of his starts at the track. It is unlikely he will be back at the course anytime soon!

Marseille Vivaux Tips
Marseille Vivaux Horse Racing Tips Today – 20/03
Jerome Reynier has his team firing on all cylinders and provided a winner for this column with Viriatus at Marseille Borely last week. The racing is on the All-Weather at Vivaux this afternoon, but hopefully Reynier can continue his excellent form with a couple of winners, starting with the once-raced Une Perle (4.02pm).
She made a really pleasing debut in a soft-ground maiden at Cagnes in mid-January, finishing a close fourth, having missed the break and looked a little green at various stages. Though there have been mixed messages from the form, the winner has since finished fourth in Listed company, while the fifth and sixth (a stablemate) both won next time.
Une Perle’s siblings include three black-type fillies, notably full sister Spirit Of Nelson, who shed her maiden tag here in 2018 and went on to win twice at Group 3 level for this yard.
Given a considerate ride on debut, she looks sure to progress and is worth supporting to make her second start a winning one.
4.02pm Marseille Vivaux – 1pt win Une Perle @ 6/5 (most firms)
Later on the card, Reynier holds similarly strong claims with Trenavin (5.45pm).
He raced just once at two for Francois Monfort, and was off for a year before reappearing for Reynier over this CD in December, finishing a close fifth, behind two subsequent winners from the same yard, while the third has since won in handicap company.
His second over 1m4f at Lyon next time came behind Bukhara, who was Listed-placed last year, with the front pair finishing well clear of the remainder. The drop back in trip should prove no issue and and he retains far more scope for improvement than any of today’s seven rivals. Manon Germain has been getting plenty of chances from her boss and this looks a great opportunity.
5.45pm Marseille Vivaux – 1pt win Trenavin @ 5/4 (Paddy Power, William Hill, Betfair, Betway)
Also 1pt win double @ 3.95-1
Marseille Vivaux Top Trainers (2020)

1. Jerome Reynier 18 wins (19%)
2. Cedric Rossi 18 wins (15%)
3. Christophe Escuder 17 wins (7%)
4. Fabrice Vermeulen 12 wins (12%)
5. Frederic Rossi 11 wins (17%)
Marseille Vivaux Top Jockeys (2020)

1. Guillaume Millet 21 wins (19%)
2. Franck Blondel 15 wins (15%)
3. Marvin Grandin 11 wins (11%)
4. Sylvain Ruis 11 wins (10%)
5. Antonio Orani 10 wins (11%)
How to get there
Metro/Tram
Marseille Vivaux is poorly served by public transit, unlike the two courses in Lyon. To get to Marseille Vivaux using the metro, the best bet is to take the blue metro line 7 minutes from Vieux Port to La Timone. From there it is a 25-minute walk, but it is not the most pleasant.
Taxi
Take a taxi instead. It is a 15-minute drive from the Vieux Port to Marseille Vivaux if there is light traffic.
Marseille Vivaux Top Races
Grand Prix de Marseille-Vivaux
Marseille Vivaux Map
Marseille Vivaux Tips Archives
French Racing Tips – 19/04
The opening claimer at Marseille Vivaux features three at the top of the market that have won in this grade already this year. However, the favourite Lilou Chope has won a couple of really weak races here, while Aspen finished out the back on debut for Cedric Boutin...
French Racing Tips – 02/03
We head to Marseille Vivaux for today's French action and our bet comes in the 1m2f maiden (12.30pm). Morning favourite Johnny Love has some fair form to his name around here and is respected, but I like the chances of Capoeira. Runner-up in a nursery off 69 on his...
French Racing Tips – 09/02
The opening handicap at Marseille features plenty of out-of-form stayers, but Lady Mag has run a little better than her form figures suggest the last twice and looks a good bet at the prices. She won in claiming company at Lyon last month under this rider, and had...
French Racing Tips – 29 November
I'll make this relatively quick, as the race is due off in half an hour! Gaide looks too big in the next at Marseille. A nicely-bred son of Territories, he ran nicely on debut at Vichy in September and improved on that form when third over this course and distance in...
French Racing Tips
The morning card at Marseille Vivaux looks an inviting one and I have a couple of fancies on the card, but We Love Daisy looks the standout bet to me and is well worth backing on handicap debut (11.35am). She started her career in a 7f Listed race at Vichy last summer...