Andrea Atzeni’s biggest win of of 2023 in last week's Yorkshire Cup has come at a considerable cost after he collected a second riding ban.
The Italian rider was suspended for four days on the day of his Group 2 victory on Giavellotto at York when he was found guilty of careless riding.
The Marco Botti-trained winner caused interference to Quickthorn and Broome in the staying contest and Atzeni was deemed to have made insufficient effort to correct or straighten his mount.
On Tuesday he was suspended again, taking the tally to a total of 12 days, when the BHA’s Whip Referral Committee ruled that he also used his whip “without giving his mount time to respond from two furlongs out and in the incorrect place on the run to the line”.
The panel issued an eight day ban meaning the jockey will be sidelined from June 4 until June 15 inclusive.
Atzeni was one of three senior riders to be issued with eight day whip bans from the York May meeting by the Committee when it met on Tuesday.
Jack Mitchell was suspended from June 6 to 13 after riding Rogue Millennium to finish second in the Group 2 Middleton Stakes.
Mitchell went one whip stroke over the permitted level of six and incurred double the usual penalty because he was riding in a Class 1 race.
Ronan Whelan, one of Ireland’s top riders, will sit out the same days for an identical breach on Majestic, who finished fourth in the Class 2 Knights Solicitors Handicap.
