Andrea Atzeni is not sweating his luckless run as he heads to Happy Valley on Wednesday for a strong book of rides, including A Americ Te Specso in the Class Three Hanshin Handicap (1,650m).

The John Size-trained galloper was a dual winner under Atzeni last season and put in a huge shift when second over course and distance last month, lashing home from last down the middle of the track.

The draw has not been kind to the son of Per Incanto, who will be fired out of stall 12, but that is of little concern to Atzeni, who knows he will have to bide his time regardless.

“He loves the Valley and is very consistent – he rarely ever runs a bad race. We’ve got a bad draw again, but he’s a horse who you can’t force early, because you’ve got to ride him for a turn of foot,” said Atzeni.

“The 1,650m is his maximum trip so even if we were drawn well, he’s not a horse who I could bang up there early anyway as that would take the speed out of him for later in the race.

“You’d always rather be drawn low, of course, because then I might be able to sit a bit closer, but from that draw I’ll likely be right at the back.

“He needs the pace to be on and if it works out like that, he’s going to be finishing really strongly like he did last start.”

The Sardinian has also picked up the ride of Never Too Soon in the Class Three Nakayama Handicap (1,200m) for trainer David Hall, who has his horses in fine fettle.

The eight-year-old has gained all three of his wins at Happy Valley and almost added a fourth when second under Zac Purton last month, finishing a short-head behind Regal Gem after not enjoying the smoothest of runs.

Purton will partner Bienvenue on Wednesday and that has given Atzeni a chance he was very happy to snap up.

“It’s a great ride to pick up, he was only narrowly beaten at the Valley last start. I sat on him this morning and he seemed in good form,” said Atzeni.

“David’s horses are running well at the moment and I’m hoping he can go one better this time.”

By Atzeni’s lofty standards, a winless run of 24 rides would come as a surprise to many, with the 34-year-old smashing the crossbar four times at the last two meetings.

It is not something concerning Atzeni, however, who is all too familiar with the peaks and troughs of Hong Kong racing.

“It’s been a good start to the season, you’d always want to be doing better and we’ve definitely hit the crossbar a few too many times, but that’s the way it goes,” Atzeni said.

“I think I had a similar go of it last year. I was getting too many seconds then as well, but that’s Hong Kong racing, isn’t it?”

Atzeni currently sits eighth in the jockeys’ premiership on seven winners for the campaign, though he has also finished second on 10 occasions.