Andrea Atzeni spurred to win Melbourne Cup by memory of fallen ‘brother’ Stefano Cherchi

Andrea Atzeni made an emotional trip home to Italy to see the parents of his great mate Stefano Cherchi, and will strive to honour the fallen jockey with a Melbourne Cup victory.

Andrea Atzeni made an emotional trip home to Italy in the Hong Kong off-season to see the parents of his great mate Stefano Cherchi, who passed away after a race fall at Canberra earlier this year.

On Tuesday, the Hong Kong-based jockey will be looking for help from above from Cherchi at Flemington, with his first thoughts going to his “brother” as he looks to win the Melbourne Cup aboard Zardozi in his honour.

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Both from Italy, the pair became close while riding in England, before their careers took them in different directions, with Atzeni going to great lengths to be bedside with him in hospital in Canberra following the fall which ultimately cost him his life.

“I speak to his parents quite often,” Atzeni said.

“During the summer break here in Hong Kong, I went and spent some time with them in Italy.

“I still try and keep in touch with them as well, we are all busy, but it is important to me.

“We are looking forward to Tuesday, I am sure he will be there trying to help me out in the Cup, I would love to win it for him after what we did in the Sydney Cup.”

Atzeni flew from Hong Kong after the races on Sunday earlier this year to be at Cherchi’s memorial on the Monday, before riding in Hong Kong on Wednesday and returning to Sydney on the Saturday to win the Sydney Cup.

Italian jockey Andrea Atzeni (right) will honour his great mate Stefano Cherchi, who died in a riding accident earlier this year, in the Melbourne Cup.

With Zardozi running a slashing race in the Group 1 Empire Rose (1600m) on Saturday at Flemington, Atzeni admits it is a foreign concept to him seeing a horse back up three days later.

He is buoyed by the magic of Bart Cummings, who believed you couldn’t win the Melbourne Cup without running on Derby Day.

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“I thought she ran a blinder on Saturday, she hit the line nicely,” Atzeni said.

“I must say, it’s not something I am used to as a European, we never run horses in that short amount of time, but in Australia it isn’t that uncommon.

“When I was a kid growing up in Italy, I wasn’t brought up in a racing family, so we didn’t watch racing at all, so I didn’t know about the Melbourne Cup until I started getting involved with horses.

Andrea Atzeni won an emotional Sydney Cup with Stefano Cherchi’s parents trackside earlier this year. Picture: Jeremy Ng/Getty Images

“The Melbourne Cup became bigger and bigger when I was riding and I am well aware what the Cummings family has done when it comes to running on the Saturday and backing them up on the Tuesday in the Cup.”

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It is 10 years since Atzeni rode in the Cup, with the Italian taking positives from her Caulfield Cup performance last month.

“She ran well in that race, it was a funny race because the pace was a bit slow for us and it turned into a sprint, which didn’t suit her, but she stayed on well to the line.

“She has to up her game from the Caulfield Cup, there is no doubt.

“We know she enjoys Flemington, if she stays the distance, she will run very big.

“It has been a long time since I rode in the Cup.

“Not much has changed with the Cup, but I am 10 years older, so it is nice to be back.”

Originally published as Andrea Atzeni spurred to win Melbourne Cup by memory of fallen ‘brother’ Stefano Cherchi