Thursday, 24th April 2025
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After 16 years based in Britain, jockey Andrea Atzeni is enjoying his new routine in Hong Kong, reports scmp.com. "Overall, I think life as a jockey in the UK is physically a lot more demanding as you race a lot more, you spend hours in the car and so your body suffers," said Atzeni. "In the UK, once the season starts at the end of March until the first week in November, it's basically non-stop racing. That's one of the huge differences. We would race most days compared to here in Hong Kong, where we race two days a week, so you have a lot more time for yourself." Atzeni claimed, "The recovery side is huge. Because in Hong Kong you race usually on Wednesdays and Sundays, you can get into a routine and you have time to recover, whereas in the UK, there is no routine whatsoever because we spend most of our time travelling". On the flip side, the Italian-born jockey noted that there are still challenges. They include more horses racing in Hong Kong carrying less weight, and jockeys having to book their own rides." Atzeni revealed, "I now walk around four pounds lighter than when I was racing back in the UK." He says that, mentally, Hong Kong is a lot more challenging."
