Collins extends Polytrack empire to Marseille Vivaux.

WHILE American professionals continue the great debate about synthetic racing surfaces, Berkshire-based Polytrack pioneer Martin Collins is preparing to revolutionise his 15th racetrack worldwide. Polytrack is being laid at the French provincial course of Marseille Vivaux and the associated training track at Calas-Cabris, ready for racing next month.

Marseille, whose 40 meetings a year are split 50-50 with trotting, will be the first French track to race on a synthetic surface at night, and is the third course to open with Polytrack this year, following Cagnes-sur-Mer in January and Veliefendi in Istanbul in April.

France Galop's track specialist Paul-Jacques Tanvez said: "The tender for Marseille was extremely competitive and included all the main synthetic surface suppliers in the world, and we chose two to trial.

"The Polytrack trials were held at Cagnes-sur-Mer and the results, coupled with high praise from trainers and jockeys using the main track last winter, meant we felt that Polytrack would be the best choice for our specific requirements."

Collins, whose manufacturing career began in providing surfaces for sports horses, added: "The Marseille contract is another important milestone for our company, and we are extremely proud to be the chosen supplier.

"We are really pleased to be working with the racing authorities on the project, and look forward to seeing horses work and race on Polytrack in the next few months."

Collins moved into racing with a training surface for Richard Hannon in the late 1980s. He laid the first Polytrack racing circuit as a replacement for the original material at Lingfield in 2001.

Lingfield owner Arena Leisure has since introduced Polytrack at Wolverhampton, while it was chosen for new tracks at Kempton and Great Leighs.

Worldwide, Polytrack and its sister products Ecotrack and Activ-Track now cover 85 miles of racing surfaces and more than 11 miles of public training gallops at Newmarket.