Andrea Atzeni scored a stunning four-time feat at Sha Tin on Sunday, leading Endued to a resounding victory in the Kowloon Tong Club Grade Three (1,600m), before firing to welcome her first foal into the world.
The Sardinian jockey has enjoyed many four-times in Europe, but this was his first time achieving such success in Hong Kong, and the day was made even sweeter by the news that his fiancée Emma was in labor as the card approached.
Atzeni won three races in a row earlier in the card to tie his four-time finisher Endued as he recorded his second win of the season and first in Grade Three company.
“It was good. I choose a good journey and help comes. You know how it is here – you can never look back; you have to keep looking forward,” Atzeni said.
From the draw outside 14, Atzeni took the luck out of the equation by pushing Endued forward to run outside the leader Violet Star, before taking the direct position and turning off the fast-finishing Smart Avenue to close by a head.
“He was threatening to do that. He was unlucky with the draw and we took a chance today and went forward and, luckily, it worked,” Atzeni said.
Atzeni’s success on Sunday began in the Grade Five Somerset Handicap (1,400m) aboard Tony Cruz’s $18.05 shot He Was Me, which was the trainer’s first triple treble.
Sitting one second clear behind the big lead of Smart Engineer, Atzeni closed the gap and raced past the leader before holding the closing rooms by a pair of noses in a three-way photo with General Smart and The Concentration.
“I thought that (Juicy Dragon and Good Chap) on the weather track both had a big chance. Obviously Cruz had a chance too, it ran well last time,” said Atzeni.
Atzeni took the next race on the dirt on Juicy Dragon, who impressed by winning the first leg of the Grade Four Rutland Handicap (1,200m) by one and a quarter lengths.
Trainer Manfred Man Ka-leung used studs for the first time on the son of Territories, who has been a consistent performer over the track and distance.
In the middle of the field during the run, the four-year-old settled in Ace Power’s account.
“The last two races, he was unlucky. In my opinion, he’s better on dirt than grass and in this race he didn’t have the weight which helped. I think he can still improve but I don’t know how much, we’ll have to see,” said Man.
Good Chap gave David Hall the first leg of the double – with Magnifique greeting later on the card in the Grade Three Cornwall Handicap (1,200m) on dirt – when he was chased home by Atzeni in the second leg of the Grade Four Rutland Handicap.
The decision to stay on board the son of Deep Field after turning down a bid to ride his rival King Dance was vindicated when he won by a length and a quarter.
Settling behind the leaders in midfield, the long journey could not affect the result for the five-year-old, who hit the ground in midfield to greet him.
The Good Chap made it possible to win consistently over course and distance, thanks to all-weather changes and the use of blinkers.
“I think he’s just one of those horses that has found his mark on the blinkers and also the all-weather track. Deep Field stallions tend to like the face and they like a set of blinkers,” said Hall.
Atzeni has been in star form on the track, enjoying two trebles already this year. The 34-year-old has been closing in on Hugh Bowman for second place in the jockeys’ championship, with Atzeni now 35 wins behind Bowman’s 39, who also hailed Yee Cheong Glory on Sunday.
Comments
