By Michael Cox
No superlative seemed too great after Voyage Bubble galloped into history yesterday at Sha Tin and became Hong Kong’s first Triple Crown winner in more than 30 years.
Trainer Ricky Yiu Poon-fai hailed his horse as a “genius” and described the Triple Crown-clinching victory in the 2025 G1 Standard Chartered Champions & Chater Cup as “outrageous” as Voyage Bubble swept aside any stamina concerns in a dominant display.
Yiu called it “a dream come true” after his latest star justified his favoritism with a three-and-a-half-length win.
“When I won the first two legs I started dreaming of the Triple Crown and today those dreams came true,” Yiu said. “It’s amazing.”
Wins in this year’s G1 Stewards’ Cup over 1,600 meters and G1 Citi Hong Kong Gold Cup over 2,000m gave Voyage Bubble the chance to join River Verdon as the only Triple Crown winners in Hong Kong racing history.
River Verdon achieved the feat in 1994 when the Champions & Chater Cup was run over 2,200m but the race is now held over 2,400m and an even greater test of stamina.
Voyage Bubble is best known for his exploits at 1,600m but the step-up in distance seemed a natural progression as the six-year-old relaxed into a smooth rhythm during the race for jockey James McDonald.
“You seldom see a horse perform over a sprint and then up to 2,400m, the maximum distance in Hong Kong, he really is a genius,” Yiu said. “James was able to ride him with a lovely long rein and he was ever so relaxed.”
Yiu’s horse collected a HK$10million bonus for winning the Triple Crown, which along with the HK$7.28m first prize from yesterday’s race, pushed Voyage Bubble’s career earnings to more than HK$117m from 26 starts.
This was about more than money though – it was about making history – and after the race Yiu got a sense of that history when members of the local media asked him to sign their racebooks and pose for photos with them.
The achievement will create a spirited debate about the end-of-season Horse of the Year honors. It was thought Ka Ying Rising’s perfect eight wins from eight starts had secured the award but the Voyage Bubble’s impressive campaign – which also included a win in the 2024 G1 Longines Hong Kong Mile – could sway voters.
Either way, Yiu believes the best might be yet to come for his horse.
“This was once-in-a-lifetime stuff,” Yiu said. “But I think there is a little bit more in the tank with him. I am looking forward to next season.”
