AFTER a few quiet years, Andrea Atzeni hopes to become Bjorn again.

It’s because he was called to rise Stradivari in his last career start in today’s Goodwood Cup.

Horse owner Bjorn Nielsen turned to Atzeni after a public falling out with Frankie Dettori at Royal Ascot.

Nielsen and trainer John Gosden called on Dettori for his ride, which finished third in the Gold Cup last month.

This sparked a huge argument and led to Dettori being given a two-week “sabbatical” from his role with Gosden.

And that caused a rift between Dettori and the legendary eight-year-old Stradivarius.

But if anyone deserved another crack on the big stayer, it’s Atzeni, who’s a perfect three out of three on him.

He last rode Strad as a four-year-old in the 2018 Goodwood Cup – when Dettori was forced to remain suspended.

It’s a very different situation this time around, but Atzeni has distanced himself from politics behind the scenes and remains focused on his job.

It’s an important job for him, his career needs a boost.

He had a string of big race wins between 2014 and 2018, but good horses have been harder to find lately.

3

3

Atzeni, 31, said: “It’s great to be back on Stradivarius. The last time I sat on him was in 2018 when I won my second Goodwood Cup on him.

“I stayed well out of the discussions between Bjorn and Frankie, it’s not for me to get involved in any of this.

“I get paid to ride horses and was lucky enough to get the call and obviously very happy to take the ride on Stradivarius.

“I’m good friends with Bjorn and Frankie and have a good record on the horse, so hopefully that can continue.

“Lately it hasn’t been so easy to get on good horses, so it’s good for the owner to believe in me – I want to repay the faith.”

It will be a completely different Stradivarius to the one Atzeni last rode in 2018.

He’s four years older and has a few more miles on his odometer – 45 miles in 22 races to be exact – and his air of invincibility is long gone.

But he showed he could still perform at a high level. If this will be enough to beat the hero of Royal Ascot Kyprios that remains to be seen.

DOWNLOAD THE NEW SUN RACING APP NOW

The ultimate home for all your racing needs.

Number one for tips, betting offers and news – plus comprehensive race maps and an interactive results and odds comparison service.

Download today – HERE

Bookmakers are expecting Aidan O’Brien’s four-year-old to confirm his superiority over Stradivarius this afternoon.

After all, he’s half his age and open to plenty of improvement after just seven career starts.

But Atzeni is not concerned. He said: “I don’t care too much about who shows up, I just worry about my guy and putting him in the best position possible.

“He’s one of the best stayers we’ve ever seen and he loves it on the track, so what’s to worry about?”

It’s true, Stradivarius never tasted defeat at Goodwood, having gone home with the gold medal on each of his four visits to the Sussex Downs.

The horse will be wrapped up for a stud career at the end of the season and his performance today will decide when to call the stumps.

Nielsen said: “He has an entrance to the Lonsdale in York so we are keeping our options open.

“If he’s beaten properly we’ll probably quit, but he’s shown no signs of it and there’s a chance he’ll run again, that’s for sure.”

Whatever happens at Goodwood, Stradivarius will retire as one of the most popular horses of his generation and Atzeni knows the race is one that carries great responsibility.

He said: “Physically he is going to be a different horse to where I rode him when I was four years old. I’ll talk to Frankie and I’m sure he’ll give me lots of advice.

“But once the stalls are open, everything depends on me. I’m quite relaxed and it’s a great opportunity to ride a horse like him.

“The public loves him and having a horse for so long and racing at such a high level is not something you see every day.

“It’s a privilege to ride him and it would be amazing to give him and his fans a good start. He deserves it.”

FREE BETS GET OVER £2,000 IN LISTING OFFERS HERE

Commercial Content Notice: Subscribing to any of the bookmaker offers featured in this article may result in payment to The Sun. 18+. The T&Cs apply. begambleaware.org

Remember to gamble responsibly

A responsible player is a person who:

• Set time and money limits before playing
• Only plays with money he can afford to lose
• Never chase their losses
• Don’t play if upset, angry or depressed
• gamcare- www.gamcare.org.uk
• Aware of the bet – www.begambleaware.org