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| Staff Writer |
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Ricky Yiu Poon-fai has reaffirmed his commitment to aiming Voyage Bubble at Champions Day, despite the challenging performance it faced, finishing 13th in the Group One Dubai Turf at Meydan last weekend.
Following its initial jump from barrier one and securing a favorable position, Voyage Bubble was subsequently pushed back and found itself settling just ahead of midfield amidst a cluster of runners.
“Drawing one, he had nowhere to go and he had horses all around him. It was tough. The draw was no good for this kind of race, it was just too tight,” Yiu said.
Voyage Bubble's chances were diminished when American runner Catnip suffered a breakdown on its outside at the 100m mark, brushing against Yiu's charge and preventing it from finishing strongly through the line.
“The horse falling next to him affected him a little bit, he’s just got some scratches on his right hind. But he’s pulled up OK and he’s in quarantine now,” Yiu said.
“Luckily he’s fine and we’ll look towards the end of the month. We’ll put him into work on Thursday and then we’ll work out when we bring him back.”
Although Voyage Bubble is expected to compete in the Gr.1 Champions Mile on 28th April, John Size acknowledged that Sight Success may not necessarily race again this season. This uncertainty follows Sight Success's fifth-place finish behind fellow Hong Kong contender California Spangle in the Gr.1 Al Quoz Sprint in Dubai.
“He seems all right. He’s in quarantine – I haven’t seen him, I can’t go in there – but he trained really nicely in Dubai,” Size said of his seven-year-old.
“He was very healthy, he looked fantastic, just race day didn’t work out for him. I wouldn’t be certain about [running him again this season] because he’s an older horse and travel can take a bit out of them. I’ll see what he looks like when he comes out of quarantine.”
Both John Size and Ricky Yiu are set to feature in this Sunday’s Champions Day lead-up races. Size will saddle up Howdeepisyourlove in the Gr.2 Sprint Cup, where the competition includes Lucky Sweynesse and Lucky With You. Additionally, he will field Beauty Eternal and Red Lion in the Gr.2 Chairman’s Trophy.
Meanwhile, Ricky Yiu will send Nimble Nimbus to compete in the Chairman’s Trophy, acknowledging that it serves as more of a preparatory run for the Gr.1 QE II Cup scheduled for April 28.
As Frankie Lor considers California Spangle's international racing options, it would be unwise to discount the possibility of participating in Royal Ascot. California Spangle, who finished third in its last outing behind Romantic Warrior and Voyage Bubble in February’s Group One Gold Cup, will be competing over its shortest distance since finishing fifth in a Class Four race over the Sha Tin mile in January 2022.
Nimble Nimbus faces tough competition from opponents such as Russian Emperor and Taj Dragon in Sunday’s race. However, the absence of star runners like Golden Sixty, Romantic Warrior, Voyage Bubble, California Spangle, and Victor The Winner leaves the card somewhat lacking in top-tier talent.