Voyage Bubble claimed top seed among the local hopes for next month’s HK$36 million G1 LONGINES Hong Kong Mile (1600m) with victory in Sunday’s (17 November) HK$5.35 million G2 BOCHK Private Wealth Jockey Club Mile (1600m) at Sha Tin.
Grinding to a seventh win at his 21st start, Voyage Bubble (128lb) was tenacious in victory over Chancheng Glory (123lb) and Galaxy Patch (123lb), respectively, clocking a winning time of 1m 32.82s as the race's 3.5 second favourite for trainer Ricky Yiu, jockey James McDonald and owners, the Sunshine And Moonlight Syndicate.
"He's a tough horse, he loves it. He loves being in for a fight and he got the job done today," McDonald said. "It's nice to get one on the board and he's trending the right way for three weeks' time."
Galaxy Patch – the contest's 1.7 favourite – was unable to reel in Voyage Bubble as Yiu's Deep Field gelding scooped his first win since January's HK$13 million G1 Stewards' Cup (1600m) – the 2023 BMW Hong Kong Derby (2000m) hero's first and only Group 1 win.
Second in the 2023 LONGINES Hong Kong Mile to Golden Sixty, Voyage Bubble was unplaced in two overseas runs last term in Dubai and Japan before recapturing his winning groove at this afternoon's Bank of China (Hong Kong) Race Day, where Yiu sounded an ominous warning to rivals ahead of the 8 December contest at Sha Tin's HK$126 million LONGINES Hong Kong International Races.
"We think there is still a little something left in him left to come," the trainer declared. "Yes (I was confident). Even though he finished second (first-up), I think he was only 75 or 80 per cent fit and that (the) race would bring him on.
"James knows him really well and with a small field we made the right decision to bring him forward and travel in a positive position. He managed to win it in quite comfortable style," Yiu said.
Stepping away from gate nine, Voyage Bubble landed just outside of Beauty Eternal (128lb) – who led before fading to eighth. McDonald asked Voyage Bubble for an effort at the 400m mark and he responded with plenty of grit by hitting the front. "I thought his run the other day was probably just as good as the favourite (Galaxy Patch) and he just needed a bit of luck and we got that," McDonald said.
Voyage Bubble has now won four times over the mile at Sha Tin. Including several of today's opponents, the six-year-old could face overseas raiders Antino, Docklands and even Soul Rush in next month's LONGINES Hong Kong Mile. 2023 LONGINES Hong Kong Mile fourth Soul Rush won this afternoon's G1 Mile Championship (1600m) at Kyoto.
Voyage Bubble was second first-up this campaign behind Galaxy Patch in the HK$5.35 million G2 Sha Tin Trophy Handicap (1600m) last month.
"First-up this season he finished a good second and this time the conditions were much better than his first start, and he showed the same level of performance that he did last season.
"From day one, I thought he was miler but the 2000 (metre, BMW Hong Kong) Derby was only a four-year-old race. He's one of the best milers in Hong Kong. I will see how he pulls up and mainly we just need to keep him happy because he knows his trick," Yiu said.
Happy Together (123lb) returned for fourth today, while Beauty Joy (123lb) and Straight Arron (123lb) were fifth and sixth, respectively. Taj Dragon (123lb) dropped out to seventh with Red Lion (123lb) in ninth.
Ka Ying Rising won the day's first feature – the HK$5.35 million G2 BOCHK Private Banking Jockey Club Sprint (1200m) in course record time (1m 07.43s). Champion Romantic Warrior closed out the trio of feature races, gapping rivals in the HK$5.35 million G2 BOCHK Jockey Club Cup (2000m).
Hong Kong racing continues at Happy Valley on Wednesday (20 November).
