Dubai Honour is bound for Hong Kong again after returning a winner in Britain, but Dubai Turf hero Facteur Cheval is unlikely for Champions Day and Japanese star Liberty Island has been ruled out.

Trainer William Haggas confirmed Dubai Honour will be set for the Group One QE II Cup (2,000m) at Sha Tin on April 28 after his three-length victory in the Listed Magnolia Stakes (1,800m) on the Kempton all-weather track on Monday.

But in a blow to the Jockey Club’s hopes of attracting other big-name internationals for Champions Day, French galloper Facteur Cheval seems unlikely to be set for the QE II Cup and connections of Liberty Island have declined an invitation for the same race.

A French report suggests the Jerome Reynier-trained Facteur Cheval is likely to return home and be prepared for the Group One Queen Anne Stakes (1,600m) or Group One Prince Of Wales’s Stakes (2,004m) at Royal Ascot.

Reynier had indicated Hong Kong was a possibility after Facteur Cheval notched his first triumph at the elite level when delaying Japan’s Namur in the Dubai Turf (1,800m) at Meydan last Saturday night.

Liberty Island will return to Japan after running third to Rebel’s Romance in the Group One Dubai Sheema Classic (2,400m) on Dubai World Cup night.

Dubai Honour, a dual Group One winner in Australia, will tackle the QE II Cup for the second straight year after running third to Romantic Warrior and Japan’s Prognosis 12 months ago.

He also ran fourth to Loves Only You in the Group One Hong Kong Cup (2,000m) in 2021.

At his first start since last October, Dubai Honour made light work of his rivals under champion jockey Ryan Moore in the Magnolia Stakes.

“I was very pleased with him and he looked a bit fresh having not run for a bit,” Haggas said.

“I thought he was always looking comfortable in a race that had the potential to be messy – and probably was – despite the nice gallop. I was very happy with him and it was exactly what I hoped for.

“He’s going to Hong Kong all being well – he’s been invited and we’ve accepted. Providing he’s fit and well he will go over there on April 28 for the QE II Cup, the mile-and-a-quarter race he was third in last year.

“He’s won over £3 million (HK$29.4 million) in prize money now and he’s a thoroughly nice horse who has been great fun, we think the world of him. He’s a kind horse, too.”

Meanwhile, the Jockey Club has announced an increase to the deduction rate to the Six Up Operator Reserve to provide more jackpot opportunities for punters.

Starting from Wednesday night’s Sha Tin meeting, the Club will deduct two per cent – an increase from 0.5 per cent – of the pool turnover from the club’s revenue after the dividend payout. That amount will be allocated to top up jackpots for the Six Up pool at specific race meetings.