Andrea Atzeni hoping Bundle Award can complete historic 2,400m double in Champions & Chater Cup
Andrea Atzeni will be hoping Bundle Award can become the first horse to parlay Group Three Queen Mother Memorial Cup (2,400m) success into Group One Champions & Chater Cup (2,400m) glory in the same season when he jumps aboard the progressive galloper for the first time next weekend.
Victorious under Zac Purton in the recent Queen Mother Memorial Cup, the John Size-trained Bundle Award will join forces with Atzeni after Purton opted to lock in the ride aboard stablemate Ensued for the final Group One of the Hong Kong season.
'It's a good ride to get,' said Atzeni. 'He's a horse that stays the trip and he's only young. He's done nothing wrong so far and it's a really good ride.
'He won over the mile and a half the last day. 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.
Stayer on the rise? 👀
Bundle Award outstays rivals to win the six-runner G3 Queen Mother Memorial Cup over 2400m for @zpurton and John Size at Sha Tin! 🏆#LoveRacing | #HKracing pic.twitter.com/uZm3KMPD9j — HKJC Racing (@HKJC_Racing) May 4, 2025
'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 day, it will suit him.'
Atzeni will have his first sit on Bundle Award in a Sha Tin dirt trial on Friday morning, with superstar miler Voyage Bubble and Hong Kong Derby (2,000m) winner Cap Ferrat also using the 1,200m hit-out as a stepping stone to the Champions & Chater Cup.
Voyage Bubble, who is looking to sweep the Hong Kong Triple Crown, and British raider Dubai Honour shape as the horses to beat come May 25.
'Voyage Bubble has got to step up in trip, which is obviously a question mark, but with the class that he has, he probably doesn't need to stay to win it,' said Atzeni.
The champ Via Sistina claims the G1 Queen Elizabeth Stakes with ease, equalling Winx's record of 7 Group 1's in a season! 🤩 What a mare!@cwallerracing | @mcacajamez | @YulongInvest | @aus_turf_club | @WorldPool pic.twitter.com/oMBNGpAyv8 — SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) April 12, 2025
'Dubai Honour gets this trip very well and last time behind Via Sistina [in the Group One Queen Elizabeth Stakes (2,000m) at Randwick], although he had a bit of a tough trip, he never gave up and kept going all the way to the line. He's a very smart horse.'
Triumphant aboard the improving Crimson Flash at Happy Valley on Wednesday night, Italian jockey Atzeni heads to Sha Tin this Sunday with a full book of 10 rides as he chases the one victory he requires to notch a century of Hong Kong successes.
Ng shows signs of life
Pierre Ng Pang-chi was another to taste success at the city circuit's midweek meeting and it was a much-needed breakthrough for the third-season trainer.
A runaway leader in the trainers' title for much of last season before being pipped by Francis Lui Kin-wai at a pulsating season finale, Ng also hit the ground running this campaign before hitting a brick wall in recent months.
After enjoying a share of the premiership lead as recently as February, Ng has slid down to eighth on the table after managing only three wins in March and one in April.
Cambridge is off the mark in Hong Kong! 🤝
Formerly trained by Aidan O'Brien, the Irish import was G3-placed at @LeopardstownRC before joining Pierre Ng's stable at Sha Tin... 🇮🇪 @JerryChau15 @AtTheRaces | #HappyWednesday | #HKracing pic.twitter.com/ZO6l9DHJMX — HKJC Racing (@HKJC_Racing) May 14, 2025
The victory of Cambridge on Wednesday night was Ng's first in 65 runners and six weeks – the longest drought among the training ranks.
While it's well known how difficult it is to contend for titles in consecutive seasons in Hong Kong as horses rise through the ratings to unsustainable marks, Ng's drop off in form has been an alarming one.
It will be interesting now whether he can build some late-season momentum or if he saves most of his bullets for another title push next campaign.
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