Andrea Atzeni bullish about Patch Of Theta: ‘I wouldn't swap the horse for anything else in the race'
Andrea Atzeni has strong confidence in his two Group Three mounts at Sha Tin on Sunday. Photos: Kenneth Chan
Bidding to add to what has already been a fruitful campaign, Andrea Atzeni has declared he wouldn't swap Patch Of Theta for any other ride in Sunday's Group Three Premier Cup (1,400m) at Sha Tin.
The Sardinian jockey has legitimate claims in the final two features of the season, with Patch Of Theta and his Group Three Premier Plate (1,800m) mount Bundle Award shaping as strong contenders.
Atzeni, who sits third in the jockeys' championship with 54 wins, hops aboard Patch Of Theta for the first time as Francis Lui Kin-wai's classy five-year-old chases a second Group Three triumph this term.
Victorious in the Chinese Club Challenge Cup (1,400m) in January, the Zoustar gelding put the writing on the wall with a fast-finishing third to Helios Express in the Group Three Sha Tin Vase (1,200m) last start.
Smart win, Patch Of Theta! 🫡
Francis Lui's Hong Kong International Sale graduate could be Stewards' Cup bound after his smashing G3 Chinese Club Challenge Cup victory on New Year's Day at Sha Tin... @KarisTeetan #LuckyStart | #LoveRacing | #HKracing pic.twitter.com/kCZMNqPmR9 — HKJC Racing (@HKJC_Racing) January 2, 2025
'He's a very good ride to get,' Atzeni said. 'His last run was very good. If he can repeat that, he shouldn't be too far away. To be honest, I'd say I wouldn't swap the horse for anything else in the race.
'I think 1,400m is his perfect trip because he's not short of speed and he can travel strong. Sometimes 1,200m looks a little bit sharp and a mile, although he's won over it, can be a little bit far for him.'
Patch Of Theta emerged as one of Lui's more progressive gallopers during his championship-winning campaign last season with four wins – all over 1,400m at Sha Tin.
Since winning a Class Two mile and the Chinese Club Challenge Cup, he has been tested at a much higher level and, despite finishing well back in his two Group One starts, he was not disgraced.
Atzeni highlighted another progressive Lui galloper in Packing Hermod, who shoots for a third consecutive win, and Group One victors Beauty Eternal and Invincible Sage as Patch Of Theta's major rivals on Sunday.
Bundle Award drops back in trip in the Premier Plate after a solid fifth to Voyage Bubble in the Group One Champions & Chater Cup (2,400m) when making late ground from the tail of the field.
The John Size-trained gelding has won three races this season, crowned by last month's Group Three Queen Mother Memorial Cup (2,400m).
'He's another good ride. He ran very well the other day in the mile-and-a-half race,' Atzeni said.
'If you take away the winner Voyage Bubble, it was a very close finish – there wasn't far between second, third, fourth and fifth. I didn't get stuck behind horses but if I got a slightly better run in the straight, I think I would have finished a lot closer.
'Back down into a Group Three handicap with a bottom weight [of 115lb], I know he's dropping back to 1,800m but he won over it before he went on to run in the Derby.
'It's a competitive race, but with the weight difference I think he's definitely well in.'
Bundle Award jumps from gate 13 in an even race featuring the likes of dual Group Two winner Straight Arron, Hong Kong Derby (2,000m) hero Cap Ferrat and last-start Group Three Lion Rock Trophy (1,600m) winner Pray For Mir.
Blazing Wukong, an impressive debut winner for Ricky Yiu Poon-fai, and Frankie Lor Fu-chuen's talented three-year-old South Star are among the best of Atzeni's other rides this weekend.
'Blazing Wukong is a really nice horse. He trialled the other day and looked like he's sharpened up from his first run,' Atzeni said.
'It looks like a nice race, but I do like my horse and I think whatever he does this season, he's going to be a much better horse for next year.
'South Star is another horse I like a lot. It's a very good race with some young horses who could be pretty smart next season taking each other on.'
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