Champion vs Challenger: Voyage Bubble faces rising star My Wish in Sha Tin Trophy

Sunday’s Sha Tin Trophy presents a classic battle of the proven champion taking on the new kid on the block as Voyage Bubble faces off with My Wish under two test pilots in a strong Group 2 contest over a mile.

While all eyes will be on Sydney for Ka Ying Rising’s G1 The Everest bid on Saturday, they will soon turn to Sha Tin 24 hours later as the HK$5.35 million race headlines a 10-race card that features a host of up-and-coming youngsters.

The ‘big two’ in the feature will face off for the second time after Voyage Bubble finished just under a length ahead of My Wish in April’s G1 Champions Mile, which saw the former just touched off by Red Lion and the latter run a gallant fourth on his Group 1 debut.

Sunday’s clash has a very different look to it, though, as the pair meet under handicap conditions under two new riders, who are preparing for what is likely a one-time opportunity aboard their respective mounts.

Voyage Bubble will be ridden by Matthew Poon Ming-fai, while Alexis Badel will take over from Luke Ferraris on My Wish.

With Voyage Bubble’s regular rider, James McDonald, not jetting over to Hong Kong for Sunday’s meeting, and Ferraris unable to ride at the 115 pounds My Wish will have to carry, Badel and Poon have been given the chance to taste Group 2 success before their regular riders return for the gallopers’ next race in November.

For Poon, he will also be hoping to return to the winner’s enclosure for the first time since June.

While Voyage Bubble has the class edge over My Wish with five Group 1s to his name, the Ricky Yiu Poon-fai-trained superstar will have to give 20 pounds to My Wish, who continued his upwards trajectory with an impressive win in last month’s G3 Celebration Cup.

When asked about My Wish’s condition in his preparation for the contest, his trainer Mark Newnham replied: “He’s in superb form.”

Yiu was equally pleased with Voyage Bubble: “He’s done great over the summer and he is doing really well.”

Sunday’s contest could be the first of several meetings between the pair this term. After the Sha Tin Trophy, they could face off again in the G2 BOCHK Jockey Club Mile, where Voyage Bubble will only give five pounds to My Wish. A meeting off the same weight could then happen in December’s G1 Hong Kong Mile.