- Cherchi had been in an induced coma following the racing accident on March 20
- The jockey was injured after his horse came down in an incident in Canberra
- Cherchi rode over 100 winners in Britain before arriving in Australia in January
Jockey Stefano Cherchi has died as a result of injuries sustained in a fall in Australia on March 20.
The 23-year-old Sardinian-born jockey had been in an induced coma in the intensive care unit of a Canberra hospital after the accident on the city track when his horse came down in an incident involving two other horses.
Cherchi rode over 100 winners in Britain while based in Newmarket and had had two successes since arriving in Australia in January.
His parents and girlfriend Britanny Fallon, daughter of former British champion jockey Kieren Fallon, had flown to Australia to be by Cherchi’s bedside.
In a statement the New South Wales Jockeys Association said: ‘With deep sadness, the Cherchi family have announced their beloved son Stefano passed away peacefully today.
Stefano Cherchi, 23, has died as a result of injuries sustained in a fall in Australia on March 20
Cherchi’s girlfriend Britanny, daughter of champion jockey Kieren Fallon, had been at his hospital bedside
Cherchi rode over 100 winners in Britain before two successes after arriving in Australia
‘The family are very grateful for the love, prayers and messages sent by the racing community across the world.’
Italian trainer Marco Botti paid tribute to Cherchi, who had ridden his horses to victories on 38 occasions.
Botti admitted that Cherchi was ‘like a son’ and said he feels like he has lost ‘a member of the family’.
‘It’s just devastating news for all of us,’ Botti told the PA news agency.
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.’
‘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.
The 23-year-old Sardinian-born jockey had been in an induced coma in the intensive care unit of a Canberra hospital
Tributes have poured in for Cherchi from across the world of horse racing after his death
Italian trainer Marco Botti posted a tribute to Cherchi, describing him as being ‘like a son’
‘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 British Horseracing Authority were among those to join the tributes, stating the organisation was ‘heartbroken’ by the loss of a ‘talented young man’.
‘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.
Cherchi won four races for David Loughnane, with the trainer ‘devastated’ by his death
‘The entire racing industry will be in mourning after the loss of such a talented young man.’
Cherchi won four races for David Loughnane during his career, with the trainer saying he was ‘devastated’ by the Italian’s death.
‘We are all completely devastated with the loss of Stefano Cherchi,’ Loughnane wrote on X, formerly Twitter.
‘He was an absolutely gentleman and a pleasure to have known and worked with. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family and friends #RIP’
