Marco Botti paid tribute to his compatriot Stefano Cherchi after the young jockey died as a result of injuries sustained in a fall in Australia last month.
The 23-year-old was riding at Canberra on March 20 when his mount, Hasime, fell in the Affinity Electrical Technologies Plate, with two other riders escaping serious injury after being unseated in the incident.
Cherchi received medical treatment at the track before being transferred to hospital and was found to have sustained a head injury and internal bleeding.
The New South Wales Jockeys Association posted on X, formerly twitter, on Wednesday: “With deep sadness, the Cherchi family have announced their beloved son Stefano passed away peacefully today.
“The family are very grateful for the love, prayers & messages sent by the racing community across the world.”
The majority of Cherchi’s success in Britain came aboard horses trained by fellow Italian Botti, the man who provided his most recent mount in Britain at Chelmsford in November.
Cherchi partnered 38 winners for Botti while in the UK, and the Newmarket handler was hugely saddened by the news of his death.
He told the PA news agency: “We were devastated this morning when we heard that Stefano had passed away. I think it was midday in Australia and we just heard an hour ago basically.
“It’s just devastating news for all of us. We knew it was a bad fall and we knew things didn’t look great, but you live in hope and hope for a miracle. Hopefully he’s going to a better place and we will never forget him – he will always be with us.”
Botti added: “His charm and his way of behaving with people, he was such a nice guy. For me, he was a little bit like a son to be honest.
“When he left for Australia, we had a chat and in a way I was happy he was going to try to have a career there. He had a couple of winners recently and things were just picking up and then this happened. Life is tough.
“For us he was always a good judge in the mornings. He rode some of our nice horses and his feedback was incredible. As a jockey he just needed to get on good horses and he would have proven himself.
“Away from the saddle he has always been a really good guy. We were texting each other through the winter and I was hoping he would come back in the spring.
“It’s very sad for the family and all his friends. It’s like we lost a member of the family to be honest.”
The Sardinian-born Cherchi made his British debut in 2018 and rode his first winner the following April aboard the Botti-trained Withoutdestination at Wolverhampton.
He teamed up with a wide variety of trainers, including Godolphin handler Saeed bin Suroor for whom he partnered eight winners, and Newmarket trainer Amy Murphy who provided 10 victories from 175 rides.
Cherchi struck gold four times for David Loughnane, who said on X: “We are all completely devastated with the loss of Stefano Cherchi.
“He was an absolute gentleman and a pleasure to have known and worked with. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family and friends.”
In a statement, the British Horseracing Authority said: “We are heartbroken to hear the news that Stefano Cherchi has died following a fall at Canberra racecourse last month.
“Stefano rode over 100 winners in Britain before moving to Australia, and the high esteem in which he was held around the world is clear to see.
“Our thoughts are with his friends, family, and everyone who has had the pleasure of working with him. The entire racing industry will be in mourning after the loss of such a talented young man.”
'World-class' Scotland will provide Wallabies' sternest test – Skelton
Australia will face their sternest test to date when they continue their autumn tour against a "world-class" Scotland team at Murrayfield on Sunday.
That is the view of forward Will Skelton, who believes the Wallabies' victories in England and Wales have brought a new energy and confidence to their camp.
Having crashed out in the pool stage at last year's World Cup in France before finishing last in the Rugby Championship, Australia have looked a team reborn in recent weeks.
A first victory at Twickenham since 2015 and a 52-20 rout of Wales – their biggest-ever away win in matches between the teams – have made it an excellent tour to date for Joe Schmidt's side.
But La Rochelle lock Skelton feels their toughest assignment is to come this week, saying: "We've won two games, we're very aware of that.
"The Test against Scotland is going to be the hardest one yet. We're excited about this weekend and we're looking forward to ripping into it.
"Physically they're up there with the top five in the world. I think set-piece wise they're really strong.
"You've got a guy like Finn Russell who's a maestro at the back there. I think it's going be a close one and we'll be up for it.
"There's some class players in the Scottish team and, when they're at it they're world-class, so we're going to have to be on top of our game."
Bahrain 2-2 Australia: Yengi rescues point for visitors with stoppage-time equaliser
Kusini Yengi was the hero for Australia after scoring in the first minute and the 97th to help salvage a 2-2 draw away to Bahrain in their World Cup qualifier on Tuesday.
The result extended manager Tony Popovic's unbeaten start with the Socceroos to four matches, although three of those have been draws.
Things got off to a great start for the visitors, going a goal up inside 40 seconds after Portsmouth forward Kusini Yengi nipped in to intercept an underhit back pass from Sayid Mahdi Baqer and find the net.
Yengi had the next moment of note after hitting the post on 61 minutes from a Riley McGree cross, before a poor touch let him down when well-placed three minutes later.
Australia were made to pay for not killing the game, when Mahdi Abduljabbar lobbed Mat Ryan from 45 yards to get Bahrain level in the 75th minute. It went from bad to worse two minutes later, when Abduljabbar got his second following a defensive mix-up between Ryan and Hayden Matthews.
But Yengi rescued his side deep into stoppage time, reacting quickest to bury a ricocheting ball in the six-yard box. The result was Australia's fourth draw in six matches and leaves them second in Group C on seven points, with teams from third to sixth – including fifth-placed Bahrain – all on six.
iPrint joins forces with SVREL as Billboard Advertising Partner for Mouttet Mile 2024
iPrint is the latest corporate entity to signal its support for 2024 Mouttet Mile by coming onboard as the official billboard advertising partner for the event.
The partnership will see iPrint amplifying the event’s visibility with a series of impactful promotional displays on its traditional and electronic billboards across Kingston and St. Catherine.
“We’re proud to welcome iPrint on board as our advertising partner for the Mouttet Mile. Their expertise in outdoor advertising brings significant visibility and will help to raise public awareness and excitement for the event. We know their placements will reach thousands of potential attendees and will increase the anticipation and excitement for Jamaica’s premier racing event across key areas in Kingston and St. Catherine,” Aswanda Stoddart, SVREL AVP Administration, said.
iPrint’s involvement demonstrates its commitment to supporting Jamaica’s vibrant sports and entertainment scene and aligns with the company’s dedication to innovative advertising solutions that engage the community and bring high-profile events to the forefront.
“The efforts of SVREL in organizing and delivering this exceptional event, which not only elevates the profile of sports in Jamaica but also garners global attention through live broadcasts, are truly commendable,” said Mark Haddad, Sales Director at iprint Group of Companies.
“Supporting the Mouttet Mile aligns perfectly with the vision of enhancing and showcasing Brand Jamaica on the world stage. By collaborating with this diverse and prestigious event, we have a unique opportunity to amplify Jamaica’s cultural and sporting legacy. It is only fitting that we pledge our continued support to ensure the sustained success of the Mouttet Mile for many years to come, further solidifying Jamaica’s reputation as a hub of excellence and innovation,” he added.
SVREL and iPrint look forward to a successful collaboration that brings even more excitement to this year’s Mouttet Mile set for December 7 at Caymanas Park.
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