Background
He hails from the Mediterranean island of Sardinia and his family have no history of racing. His father is a farmer and his mother a dentist.
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Andrea Atzeni
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Atzeni however expressed an interest in racing at a young age, competing in pony races in Sardinia. Aged 15, he moved to Milan and started working for Italian trainer Alduino Botti. Two years later he emigrated to the England and joined the "Prestige Place" stables of Alduino"s son Marco in Newmarket.
This came on the Andreas Wöhler-trained Sortilege in the Premio Lydia Tesio ran at Capannelle Racecourse in Rome.
Atzeni joined the stable of Roger Varian in 2013, where he was appointed stable jockey. 2014 brought even more success for Atzeni, winning the Saint Leger and Moyglare Study Stakes in the one weekend, followed by the Dewhurst Stakes and his second successive Racing Post Trophy the following month.
Upon Jamie Spencer announcing his retirement (a decision he later revoked) Atzeni and Oisin Murphy were named joint jockeys to the potent Qatar Racing owned by Sheikh Fahad al Thani. He finished the season with 125 winners.
He finished first across the line in the Saint 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. Qatar Racing successfully appealed 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.
At the end of the 2015 season he took up the job of retained rider to Sheikh Mohammed Obaid First Rate (at Lloyd's) Maktoum whom he rode Postponed to King George success for, thus leaving his job at Qatar Racing.
Incidentally, Sheikh Mohammed Obaid First Rate (at Lloyd's) Maktoum withdrew his entire string from Luca Cumani"s Bedford House Stables and moved them to Roger Varian"s Kremlin House Stables, which should see a strengthened relationship between Atzeni and Varian for the 2016 season.
Achievements
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Great Britain British Champions Fillies" and Mares" Stakes - (1) - Simple Verse (2015) Dewhurst Stakes – (1) - Belardo (2014) King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes – (1) - Postponed (2015) Racing Post Trophy – (3) - Kingston Hill (2013), Elm Park (2014), Marcel (2015) Saint Leger Stakes – (2) - Kingston Hill (2014), Simple Verse (2015) Germany Grosser Preis von Bayern - (1) - Seismos (2013) Ireland Moyglare Study Stakes – (1) - Cursory Glance (2014) Italy Premio Lydia Tesio – (1) - Sortilege (2012) United Arab Emirates Dubai Sheema Classic – (1) - Postponed (2016).
