Andrea Atzeni (born 26 March 1991) is a professional Italian jockey who was based in England for sixteen years before moving to Hong Kong. He was born on the Mediterranean island of

Sardinia Sardinia ( ; ; ) is the Mediterranean islands#By area, second-largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, after Sicily, and one of the Regions of Italy, twenty regions of Italy. It is located west of the Italian Peninsula, north of Tunisia an ...

, where his father is a sheep farmer, and moved aged fifteen to Milan to work for Italian trainer Alduino Botti. Two years later he immigrated to England and joined the Prestige Place stables of Alduino's son

Marco Marco may refer to: People Given name * Marco (actor) (born 1977), South Korean model and actor Surname * Georg Marco (1863–1923), Romanian chess player of German origin * Jindřich Marco (1921–2000), Czechoslovak photographer and numismat ...

in Newmarket.

Career

His first big success as a jockey came in the 2009

Cesarewitch Handicap The Cesarewitch Handicap is a flat handicap horse race in Great Britain open to horses aged three years or older. It is run at Newmarket over a distance of 2 miles and 2 furlongs (3,621 met ...

, but he had to wait until 2012 for his first

Group 1 Group 1 may refer to: * Alkali metal, a chemical element classification for Alkali metal * Group 1 (motorsport), a regulation set of the FIA for series-production touring cars used in motorsport. * Group One Thoroughbred horse races, the leading e ...

win. This came on the Andreas Wöhler-trained Sortilege in the

Premio Lydia Tesio The Premio Lydia Tesio is a Group 2 flat horse race in Italy open to thoroughbred fillies and mares aged three years or older. It is run at Capannelle over a distance of 2,000 metres (about 1¼ miles), and it is scheduled to take place each year ...

ran at Capannelle Racecourse in Rome. Atzeni was appointed stable jockey to Roger Varian in 2013, and almost immediately won his first British Group 1 race aboard the Varian trained Kingston Hill in the Racing Post Trophy. He finished the season on 120 winners. 2014 brought further success for Atzeni, winning the St. Leger on Kingston Hill and the

Moyglare Stud Stakes The Moyglare Stud Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Ireland open to two-year-old thoroughbred fillies. It is run at the Curragh over a distance of 7 furlongs (1,408 metres), and it is schedu ...

on Cursory Glance in the one weekend, followed by the

Dewhurst Stakes The Dewhurst Stakes is a Group races, Group 1 Flat racing, flat Horse racing, horse race in Great Britain open to two-year-old Colt (horse), colts and Filly, fillies. It is run on the Rowley Mi ...

on Belardo and the Racing Post Trophy on Elm Park the following month. Upon

Jamie Spencer Jamie Spencer (born 8 June 1980, in County Tipperary) is an Irish flat racing jockey currently riding in the UK. He has been champion jockey in both Ireland and Britain and has won seven classics, five in Ireland and two in England.

announcing his retirement (a decision he later revoked) Atzeni and Oisin Murphy were named joint jockeys to Qatar Racing owned by Sheikh Fahad al Thani. He finished the season with 125 winners. In 2015 he won the

King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes The King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to horses aged three years or older. It is run at Ascot ...

on the

Luca Cumani Luca Matteo Cumani (born 7 April 1949, in Milan, Italy) is an Italian thoroughbred horse trainer and breeder. He trained at Bedford House Stables in Newmarket from 1976 to 2019. He has trained a multitude of high-profile horses, including seven ...

-trained Postponed. He finished first across the line in the St. Leger for the second successive year on Qatar Racing's filly Simple Verse. A subsequent stewards' enquiry, saw Atzeni and Simple Verse demoted to second place for deemed interference with the second placed horse

Bondi Beach Bondi Beach () is a popular beach and the name of the surrounding suburb in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. Bondi Beach is located east of the Sydney central business district, in the Local government in Australia, local government area of ...

. Qatar Racing successfully appealed against the stewards' decision and Simple Verse reclaimed the race. In October Atzeni guided Simple Verse to her second Group 1 in the British Champions Fillies' and Mares' Stakes, prior to her being named European Champion Stayer at the prestigious

Cartier Racing Award The Cartier Racing Awards are awards in European horse racing, founded in 1991, and sponsored by Cartier. The award winners are decided by points earned in group races (40%) plus the votes cast by British racing journalists (30%) and readers of th ...

. At the end of the 2015 season he became retained rider to Sheikh Mohammed Obaid Al Maktoum, for whom had ridden Postponed to King George success, thus leaving his job at Qatar Racing. Sheikh Mohammed Obaid Al Maktoum withdrew his entire string from

's Bedford House Stables and moved them to Roger Varian's Kremlin House Stables. The partnership lasted until September 2022, with Atzeni riding 193 winners for the Emirati owner. After difficulty in finding good rides in his first season as a freelance, Atzeni took up the offer of a contract with the

Hong Kong Jockey Club The Hong Kong Jockey Club (HKJC) was founded in 1884 and is one of the oldest institutions in Hong Kong. In 1960, it was granted a royal charter and renamed The Royal Hong Kong Jockey Club (). The institution reverted to its original name in 19 ...

, starting in September 2023. During his sixteen-year career in Britain he had won 26 Group 1 races.

Major wins

Australia *

Sydney Cup The Sydney Cup is an Australian Turf Club Group One, Group 1 Thoroughbred handicap horse race, for horses three years old and older, run over 3200 metres at Randwick Racecourse in Sydney, Australia in the autumn during the ATC Championships series ...

– (1) – ''Circle of Fire (2024)'' Canada *

Canadian International Stakes The Canadian International Stakes is a Grade I stakes race for thoroughbred racehorses from three years of age and upwards on Turf. It is held annually at Woodbine Racetrack in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The current purse is . History The Cana ...

– (2) – ''Desert Encounter (2018, 2019)'' * E.P. Taylor Stakes – (1) – ''Sheikha Reika (2018)'' France *

Prix d'Ispahan The Prix d'Ispahan is a Group 1 flat horse race in France open to thoroughbreds aged four years or older. It is run at Longchamp over a distance of 1,850 metres (about 1 mile and 1¼ furlongs), ...

– (1) – ''Zabeel Prince (2019)'' *

Prix Jean Romanet The Prix Jean Romanet is a Group 1 flat horse race in France open to thoroughbred fillies and mares aged four years or older. It is run over a distance of 2,000 metres (about 1¼ miles) at Deauville in ...

– (1) – ''Ajman Princess (2017)'' *

Prix Morny The Prix Morny is a Group 1 flat horse race in France open to two-year-old thoroughbred colts and fillies. It is run at Deauville over a distance of 1,200 metres (about 6 furlongs), and it is schedule ...

– (1) – ''Vandeek (2023)'' Germany * Grosser Preis von Bayern – (1) – ''Seismos (2013)'' Great Britain * British Champions Fillies' and Mares' Stakes – (1) – '' Simple Verse (2015)'' * Coronation Cup – (2) – '' Postponed (2016),

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(2019)'' *

– (1) – '' Belardo (2014)'' *

Goodwood Cup The Goodwood Cup is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to horses aged three years or older. It is run at Goodwood over a distance of 2 miles (3 ...

– (2) – ''

Stradivarius A Stradivarius is one of the string instruments, such as violins, violas, cellos, and guitars, crafted by members of the Stradivari family, particularly Antonio Stradivari (Latin: Antonius Stradivarius), in Cremona, Italy, during the late 17th ...

(2017, 2018)'' *

International Stakes The International Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to horses aged three years or older. It is run at York over a distance of 1 mile, 2 furlongs and 56 yards ...

– (1) – '' Postponed (2016)'' *

King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes The King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to horses aged three years or older. It is run at Ascot ...

– (1) – '' Postponed (2015)'' *

Lockinge Stakes The Lockinge Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to horses aged four years or older. It is run over a distance of 1 mile (1,609 metres) at New ...

– (1) – '' Belardo (2016)'' * Racing Post Trophy – (4) – '' Kingston Hill (2013), Elm Park (2014), Marcel (2015),

Rivet A rivet is a permanent mechanical fastener. Before being installed, a rivet consists of a smooth cylinder (geometry), cylindrical shaft with a head on one end. The end opposite the head is called the ''tail''. On installation, the deformed e ...

(2016)'' *

St. Leger Stakes The St Leger Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to three-year-old thoroughbred colts and fillies. It is run at Doncaster over ...

– (2) – '' Kingston Hill (2014), Simple Verse (2015)'' *

Haydock Sprint Cup The Sprint Cup is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to thoroughbreds aged three years or older. It is run at Haydock Park over a distance of 6 furlongs (1,207 metres), a ...

– (1) – '' Emaraaty Ana (2021)'' Ireland *

Irish Champion Stakes The Irish Champion Stakes ( Irish: Curadh-Dhuais na hÉireann) is a Group 1 flat horse race in Ireland open to horses aged three years or older. It is run at Leopardstown over a distance of 1 mile and 2 furlongs (2 ...

– (1) – ''Decorated Knight (2017)'' *

– (1) – ''Cursory Glance (2014)'' * Pretty Polly Stakes – (1) – ''Nezwaah (2017)'' *

Tattersalls Gold Cup The Tattersalls Gold Cup is a Group 1 flat horse race in Ireland open to thoroughbreds aged four years or older. It is run at the Curragh over a distance of 1 mile, 2 furlongs and 110 yards (2,1 ...

– (1) – ''Decorated Knight (2017)'' Italy *

– (1) – ''Sortilege (2012)''

UAE The United Arab Emirates (UAE), or simply the Emirates, is a country in West Asia, in the Middle East, at the eastern end of the Arabian Peninsula. It is a federal elective monarchy made up of seven emirates, with Abu Dhabi serving as i ...

Dubai Sheema Classic The Dubai Sheema Classic is a Group 1 flat horse race in the United Arab Emirates open to thoroughbreds which are four-years-old or above. It is run over a distance of 2,400 metres (approximately miles; 2410 metres since 2010) on the turf track a ...

– (1) – '' Postponed (2016)'' * Jebel Hatta – (1) – ''Decorated Knight (2017)''

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Atzeni, Andrea 1991 births Living people Italian British sportspeople Italian jockeys Italian emigrants to the United Kingdom People of Sardinian descent Sportspeople from Newmarket, Suffolk Italian people of Sardinian descent