Triple Crown gets underway as greats Voyage Bubble and Romantic Warrior meet again at Sha Tin

By Declan Schuster

Ricky Yiu has declared it’s all systems go for Voyage Bubble ahead of his six-time Group 1 winner’s Triple Crown defence, which begins in Sunday’s (25 January) HK$13 million G1 Stewards’ Cup (1600m) at Sha Tin, when he clashes with Romantic Warrior.

“He had a really good gallop on Saturday (17 January). He’s fit and he wasn’t blowing at all. Very good signs,” Yiu said. “The feedback from Zac (Purton) was very promising. It seems as though the horse has never had a run and that he is coping with everything.”

Voyage Bubble last season (2024/25) became the second Triple Crown winner after the legendary River Verdon first achieved the feat in 1993/94. Raced by the Sunshine And Moonlight Syndicate, the bay worked on Sha Tin’s turf in 1m 13.3s (25.6, 24.9, 22.8) alongside stablemate Tourbillon Golfer, as he prepares for this weekend’s challenge.

“He’s really, really well,” Yiu said. “I would say the mile is Voyage Bubble’s best distance, but we’re up against one of the world’s best horses on Sunday. It’s a big challenge for my horse, but he’ll definitely run well.

“We’ll follow the same path as last season. Our fingers are crossed. Romantic Warrior wasn’t here last season and he left us to do the job. Now they will run against each other all the time.”

Carrying a HK$10 million bonus, the Triple Crown also comprises the HK$13 million G1 Citi Hong Kong Gold Cup (2000m) on 1 March before concluding with the HK$13 million G1 Standard Chartered Champions & Chater Cup (2400m) on 24 May.

Yet to defeat Romantic Warrior in two attempts, Yiu expects Voyage Bubble to be a formidable obstacle over his ideal distance against the 11-time Group 1 winner, especially after his HK$36 million G1 LONGINES Hong Kong Mile (1600m) score when defeating Soul Rush, who stunned Romantic Warrior by a nose in a thrilling G1 Dubai Turf (1800m) last April.

“I thought he lost the race, but in the final 100 (metres) he fought back (in the LONGINES Hong Kong Mile in December). He has a great heart,” Yiu said.

“Voyage Bubble is an unbelievable horse and he has a great heart. He can cope with anything. Right from the start when he was racing over 1200 (metres) to last season’s 2400. He has the talent and he has a smart mind to be able to cope with all of that. He can switch off and then switch on whenever you want.”

Voyage Bubble and Romantic Warrior’s most recent meeting saw the latter win comfortably in November’s HK$5.35 million G2 BOCHK Jockey Club Cup (2000m). Yiu is also expected to race Sunlight Power in the Stewards’ Cup. Beauty Joy, Galaxy Patch, Lucky Sweynesse, My Wish, Red Lion and Straight Arron also hold entries.

Yiu, 68, is one of the city’s leading trainers with over 1,000 winners in Hong Kong, including luminaries Sacred Kingdom and Fairy King Prawn. He is renowned for his heroics with sprinting talents, including overseas Group 1 winners Amber Sky and Ultra Fantasy.

Sunday’s fixture at Sha Tin also features the HK$13 million G1 Centenary Sprint Cup (1200m), where the world’s best sprinter Ka Ying Rising aims to secure a 17th consecutive win – equalling Silent Witness’ record mark in Hong Kong – in the opening leg of the three-race Hong Kong Speed Series.