Atzeni Bidding For First HK G1 Atop Bundle Award

Italian jockey will partner the Size-trained 4YO in Champions & Chater Cup at Sha Tin

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HONG KONG - Andrea Atzeni has clinched the HK$13 million (S$2.16 million) Group 1 Standard Chartered Champions & Chater Cup (2,400m) ride on Group 3 Queen Mother Memorial Cup Handicap (2,400m) winner Bundle Award.

On May 25, Atzeni will chase his first Hong Kong Group 1 trophy on Bundle Award, who became the first runner from this season's Hong Kong Derby (2,000m) to win a Group 3 race in the Queen Mother Memorial Cup at Sha Tin on May 4 under Zac Purton.

With seven-time champion jockey Purton likely to partner Ensued in the Champions & Chater Cup, Atzeni took the opportunity to familiarise himself with the Shamus Award four-year-old in a 1,200m dirt trial at Sha Tin on May 16.

Pitted against fellow Champions & Chater Cup contenders - four-time Group 1 winner Voyage Bubble and 2025 Hong Kong Derby winner Cap Ferrat - Bundle Award was not pressured and finished seventh behind Cap Ferrat in 1min 11.44sec.

"It's a good ride to get," said Atzeni. "He's a horse that stays the trip and he's young. He's done nothing wrong so far and it's a really good ride.

"He's won over the mile and a half the last time. I know they didn't go really quick and it turned into a bit of a sprint.

"But in these mile and a half races, they never go a gallop here anyway, so it could set up very similarly and he's a horse who has quite a bit of speed.

"He stays but he's got quite a bit of pace. So, if it turns into a bit of a sprint like it did the last time, it will suit him."