Voyage Bubble takes Jockey Club Mile
Voyage Bubble (Deep Field) claimed top seed among the local hopes for next month’s Hong Kong Mile (Gr 1, 1600m) with victory in Sunday’s Jockey Club Mile (Gr 2, 1600m) at Sha Tin.
Grinding to a seventh win at his 21st start, Voyage Bubble was tenacious in victory over Chancheng Glory (Mor Spirit) and Galaxy Patch (Wandjina), respectively, clocking a winning time of 1m 32.82s as the race’s $3.50 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 $1.70 favourite – was unable to reel in Voyage Bubble as Yiu’s Deep Field (Northern Meteor) gelding scooped his first win since January’s Stewards’ Cup (Gr 1, 1600m) – the 2023 Hong Kong Derby (2000m) hero’s first and only Group 1 win.
Second in the 2023 Hong Kong Mile to Golden Sixty (Medaglia D’Oro), 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 December 8 contest at Sha Tin’s 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.”
Stepping away from gate nine, Voyage Bubble landed just outside of Beauty Eternal (Starspangledbanner) – who led before fading to eighth. McDonald asked Voyage Bubble for an effort at the 400-metre 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 (Redwood), Docklands (Massaat) and even Sunday’s Mile Championship (Gr 1, 1600m) hero Soul Rush (Rulership) in next month’s Hong Kong Mile.
Voyage Bubble was second first-up this campaign behind Galaxy Patch in the Sha Tin Trophy Handicap (Gr 2, 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,” Yiu said.
“From day one, I thought he was miler but the 2000 [metre, 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.”
Happy Together (Dragon Pulse) returned for fourth today, while Beauty Joy (Sebring) and Straight Arron (Fastnet Rock) were fifth and sixth, respectively. Taj Dragon (Mehmas) dropped out to finish seventh with Red Lion (Belardo) in ninth.
Hong Kong racing continues at Happy Valley on Wednesday.