Andrea Atzeni rates Meydaan a live chance in Saturday’s Caulfield Cup (2,400m) as the Sardinian jockey teams up with some familiar faces in pursuit of more Group One glory in Australia.

Atzeni, who won the Group One Sydney Cup (3,200m) on Circle Of Fire last year, returns to Melbourne after finishing fourth on Zardozi in his first Caulfield Cup ride 12 months ago.

The 34-year-old jumped at the chance to ride Meydaan when approached by British co-trainers Simon and Ed Crisford.

“I’ve ridden plenty for the Crisfords and won my last Group One for them before I came to Hong Kong,” Atzeni said.

“They were looking for a jockey that could commit to the Caulfield Cup and Melbourne Cup and I was happy to take the ride.

“They took West Wind Blows two years ago and he just got touched off in the Caulfield Cup and they took Without A Fight the year before for the Melbourne Cup, but the ground came up soft. They know the right horse to bring [to Australia], so hopefully this is another one.”

A two-time winner from 12 starts, Meydaan arrived in Australia with top form ahead of his Group One debut, having finished third to Giavellotto and Kalpana in the Group Three September Stakes (1,800m) at Kempton last month.

Giavellotto, the winner of last year’s Group One Hong Kong Vase (2,400m), boosted the form with an outstanding fourth when ridden by Atzeni in the Group One Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe (2,400m), while Kalpana ran seventh in the same race.

“He’s got nice form,” Atzeni said. “I won a Group One on his dam Nezwaah – she was a very good horse.

“Luckily we picked up a nice draw [in barrier five], but the only thing I would say is he probably wants a bit of juice in the ground.

“He has run on fast ground but looking at his form and talking to connections, he probably appreciates a bit more give in the ground. It looks like it’s quite hot and dry in Melbourne today and this weekend.

“Hopefully he can get into a nice spot from the draw and he’ll be competitive.”

Meydaan is rated an $8.50 chance in overseas markets, sharing second favouritism with Royal Supremacy. Half Yours is the $3 favourite.

Atzeni has five other rides at Caulfield, including Cherish Me in the Group One Thousand Guineas (1,600m), before he returns to Hong Kong for six rides at Sha Tin on Sunday.

He will team up with the John Size-trained Ensued in a hot edition of the Group Two Sha Tin Trophy (1,600m), which is headlined by Triple Crown hero Voyage Bubble and rising star My Wish.

“I was riding Bundle Award but he ended up fourth reserve, which is crazy,” Atzeni said.

“Luckily John put me on another one. As we all know, he’s taking on Voyage Bubble, My Wish and Galaxy Patch – it’s a very, very good field.

“He’s got a good draw [in barrier two] and it’s his first run of the season with a light weight [115lb], so hopefully he can run well.”

Of his other Sha Tin chances, Atzeni is looking forward to teaming up with Blazing Wukong in section two of the Class Four Sun Chui Handicap (1,400m), though he rued another wide draw for Ricky Yiu Poon-fai’s four-year-old in gate 13.

Atzeni also confirmed he will ride Size’s talented sprinter Wunderbar for the first time in next week’s Group Two Premier Bowl (1,200m).

“He ran in the 1,000m race the other day and there’s a good chance he’ll come on from that and I’d say he’ll be down in the weights,” Atzeni said of Wunderbar, who ran fourth to Fast Network in the Group Three National Day Cup (1,000m) first up.

“He’s a solid horse, especially with his Ka Ying Rising form. It’s a nice ride to get.”