Jockey hunt: Gosden seeks new Arc rider for Stradivarius after Atzeni ruled out

John Gosden is looking for a jockey for Stradivarius in next Sunday's Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe after first-choice replacement Andrea Atzeni was ruled out due to travel restrictions.

Atzeni was set to stand in for his fellow countryman Frankie Dettori on the champion stayer, on whom he won two Goodwood Cups in 2017 and 2018, but has pulled out of the proposed trip as he is contracted to ride for his retainer, Sheikh Mohammed Obaid Al Maktoum, at the Dubai Future Champions Day the following weekend, which would fall within the required quarantine period if he were to travel.

Anthony Van Dyck edged out Stradivarius in the Qatar Prix Foy last timeCredit: © Aprh / Quentin Bertrand

Stradivarius ran a highly respectable trial for the Arc when, ridden by Dettori, he finished second to Anthony Van Dyck in the Group 2 Prix Foy at Longchamp this month.

Gosden said: "Andrea Atzeni can't now go over as he's required to ride at Newmarket the following weekend for the two-day Future Champions weekend, which would fall within his eight-day quarantine.

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"It seems a bit unfair that these footballers are allowed to go over to Europe without having to self-isolate, but that is a matter for others. There is no decision on who will ride Stradivarius in the Arc but it could well be a French jockey."

Gosden has shown a marked preference for jockeys with as much experience as possible down the years and it would be no surprise to see him opt for someone of a similar vintage to Dettori when it comes to the ride on Stradivarius.

Most recently he turned to Ioritz Mendizabal for the winning ride aboard Mishriff in the Prix du Jockey Club, and the 46-year-old has ridden for Gosden in France on three occasions in the last five years.

That figure is matched by four-time Arc winner Olivier Peslier, who also struck up a fruitful association in Britain with the Gosden-trained Coronet. Of the younger crop of riders in France, Maxime Guyon, Vincent Cheminaud and Tony Piccone have yet to be publicly associated with a mount in the Arc.

Stradivarius is a general 16-1 chance behind Love (6-4) and his stablemate Enable (2-1) for the Longchamp showdown.

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