Voyage Bubble cruises to trial win ahead of G1 Yasuda Kinen

By Leo Schlink, HKJC

Voyage Bubble ramped up preparations for the G1 Yasuda Kinen (1600m) at Tokyo Racecourse on 2 June with a soft trial win over 1000m at Sha Tin on Thursday morning (16 May), pleasing trainer Ricky Yiu.

Pitted against eight largely inexperienced rivals on the course proper, Voyage Bubble ambled through the early stages of the trial before responding to jockey Zac Purton’s sedate urging to hold a one-and-a half length margin over Circuit Victory on the line.

Clocking 58.31s, Voyage Bubble was unextended ahead of his flight to Japan on 21 May, when he will travel with Danny Shum’s Romantic Warrior and the middle-distance champion’s galloping companion Romantic Charm.

“The trial was good. Forget about the field in the trial – he was only against two and three-year-olds – but we do our own thing,” Yiu said.

“He jumped well. Zac was saying the horse was waiting for the other horses, so he had to give him a reminder and he gradually built up and hit the line strong and Zac said he took some time to pull up after the trial – he wanted to keep going.

“The feedback was all positive.”

Like Romantic Warrior, Voyage Bubble will travel overseas for the second time this season after the G1 Stewards’ Cup (1600m) and BMW Hong Kong Derby (2000m) winner’s luckless 13th in the G1 Dubai Turf (1800m) on 30 March.

The five-year-old returned to Hong Kong for the G1 FWD Champions Mile (1600m) on 28 April, finishing third to Beauty Eternal.

Purton will ride Voyage Bubble in the Yasuda Kinen, while James McDonald will partner Romantic Warrior, who is seeking his fifth Group 1 of the season and his second abroad following his historic success in the G1 W.S. Cox Plate (2040m) on 28 October.

Senor Toba sauntered throughout a 1200m trial on Sha Tin’s All Weather Track, finishing fourth to Adefill before his G1 Standard Chartered Champions & Chater Cup (2400m) assignment on 26 May.

“I thought he (Senor Toba) looked a fresh horse. He trialled really nice. We’ll just scope him and make sure everything is alright, so hopefully he scopes up well,” trainer Caspar Fownes said.

“It (the Standard Chartered Champions & Chater Cup) is only a small field – only nine runners – so you would be hoping he can pick up a cheque.”

Hong Kong racing continues at Sha Tin on Sunday (19 May) from 12.45pm with the running of the Class 5 Ownership Pride Handicap (1200m).