Ricky Yiu believes Voyage Bubble's ascendance is far from over as his lightly-raced youngster gears up for the HK$12 million Hong Kong Classic Mile (1600m) at Sha Tin.
As one of two feature races this Sunday, along with the HK$12 million Group 1 Stewards' Cup (1600m), the Hong Kong Classic Mile kicks off the Four-Year-Old Classic Series and will see 14 high-quality four-year-olds converge including Keefy, Packing Treadmill, Beautyverse, Sweet Encounter, Tuchel and Flagship Warrior to name a few.
Voyage Bubble – a three-time winner in Hong Kong – will look to give Yiu a first win in the Hong Kong Classic Mile after the near-misses of Jeune King Prawn in 2002 and Blizzard in 2016 – both of whom finished third.
“He matured this season. He's still lightly raced as a four-year-old and he had a setback a long time ago, but it was only a small issue. He has much more to come, for sure,” Yiu said.
By Deep Field, Voyage Bubble kicked off his Hong Kong career as an unraced prospect at this exact fixture in 2022, beginning on a rating of 52 eight starts ago before reaching a career-high mark of 81. This weekend he'll be ridden by fly-in jockey Jamie Kah.
“He's a big horse, he can withstand all of the training and races. He's still young but he pulled up 100 percent, it's like he didn't have a race – he's loving it, eating well and we have Jamie Kah on,” Yiu said.
Returning for her second taste of Hong Kong racing, Kah booted home a winner and two placings at last December's International Jockeys' Championship fixture at Happy Valley.
“I'm predicting he'll run well again. Mickael Barzalona got suspended, so I called straight away and it was quick (to book Kah),” Yiu said.
Breaking from gate 10 last start at his first try over a mile, Voyage Bubble successfully crossed the field to hold off rivals by a short head, including the fast-finishing duo of Happy Together and La City Blanche.
“The moment I bought him, I thought he would love the mile. He has a big long stride, even before he won (last start), I thought he would get the mile,” Yiu said.
The three-race HK$48 million Four-Year-Old Classic Series comprises the HK$12 million Hong Kong Classic Cup (1800m) on 26 February and HK$24 million Hong Kong Derby (2000m) on 19 March.
Yiu has 23 wins this term and HK$31.4 million in earnings. Last Tuesday (24 January) he prevailed in the Class 1 Chinese New Year Cup Handicap (1400m) at Sha Tin with Mr Ascendency.
Cordyceps Six, Galaxy Witness, Sword Point, Viva Chaleur, La City Blanche, Ivy League and Bon's A Pearla are also engaged in Sunday's Hong Kong Classic Mile.
Bon's A Pearla will carry 122lb as a filly while the rest of the field has been assigned 126lb as geldings, while Viva Chaleur – the only colt to feature – also carries 126lb.
Two races earlier on Sunday's fixture sees the running of the Stewards' Cup, where Romantic Warrior, Golden Sixty and California Spangle square off for supremacy.
The field of seven features six Group 1 winners lining up over the mile at Sha Tin with Waikuku, Russian Emperor, Beauty Joy and Panfield also entered.