Andrea Atzeni scored a sensational four-timer at Sha Tin on Sunday, headlined by Endued’s gutsy win in the Class Three Kowloon Tong Club Trophy (1,600m), before he quickly shot off to welcome his first child into the world.

The Sardinian jockey has enjoyed many four-timers in Europe, but this was the first occasion that he has achieved the feat in Hong Kong, and the day was made even sweeter by the news that his fiancé Emma was in labour as the card drew to a close.

Atzeni was victorious in three consecutive races early on the card and capped his four-timer when Endued recorded his second win this season and first in Class Three company.

“It was brilliant. I’m picking nice rides and the support is coming. You know what it’s like here – you can never look back; you have to keep looking forward,” said Atzeni.

From the outside draw of 14, Atzeni took luck out of the equation by pushing Endued forward to race outside the leader Violet Star, before taking over in the straight and holding off the fast-finishing Smart Avenue to score by a head.

“He was threatening to do that. He’s had no luck with draws and we took a chance today and went forward and, luckily, it worked out,” Atzeni said.

Atzeni’s Sunday success kicked off in the Class Five Somerset Handicap (1,400m) aboard Tony Cruz’s $18.05 shot He Was Me, which was the first leg of a treble for the trainer.

Sitting a clear second behind the sizeable lead of Smart Engineer, Atzeni closed the gap and ran past the leader before holding off the closers by a pair of noses in a three-way photo with General Smart and The Concentration.

“I thought that [Juicy Dragon and Good Chap] on the all-weather track had great chances. Obviously Cruz’s had a chance too, it ran well the last time,” said Atzeni.

Atzeni struck in the following race on dirt on Juicy Dragon, who impressed in winning the first section of the Class Four Rutland Handicap (1,200m) by one and a quarter lengths.

Trainer Manfred Man Ka-leung applied visors for the first time to the lightly weighted son of Territories, who has been a consistent performer at the track and distance.

Sitting midfield during the run, the four-year-old made plenty of ground in the straight to comfortably account for Ace Power.

“The last two runs, he was a bit unfortunate. In my mind, he’s much better on the dirt than the grass and in this race he carried no weight which has helped. I think he can still improve but I don’t know how much, we will have to see,” said Man.

Good Chap provided David Hall with the first leg of a double – with Magnifique saluting later on the card in the Class Three Cornwall Handicap (1,200m) on dirt – when driven home by Atzeni in the second section of the Class Four Rutland Handicap.

The decision to stay on board the son of Deep Field after declining the request to ride race rival King Dance was vindicated when he won by a length and quarter.

Settled behind the leaders in midfield, a wide trip had no bearing on the result for the in-form five-year-old, who gobbled up the ground down the middle of the track to salute.

Good Chap made it back-to-back victories at the course and distance, thanks to a change to the all-weather surface and the application of blinkers.

“I think he’s just one of those horses that’s really found his mark with the blinkers and also the all-weather track. Deep Field’s fields tend to love the surface and they love a set of blinkers,” said Hall.

Atzeni has been in stellar form at the track, enjoying two trebles already this year. The 34-year-old has been steadily closing the gap on Hugh Bowman for second place in the jockeys’ championship, with Atzeni now sitting on 35 wins behind Bowman’s 39, who also saluted on Yee Cheong Glory on Sunday.