Ricky Yiu Poon-fai has confirmed Voyage Bubble will be aimed at Champions Day despite enduring a tough time of it when 13th in last weekend’s Group One Dubai Turf (1,800m) at Meydan.

After jumping from barrier one and having the box-seat spot there for the taking, Voyage Bubble was shuffled back and straightened just forward of midfield with a stack of runners around him.

“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 was well out of contention when American runner Catnip broke down on his outside at the 100m, brushing Yiu’s charge and ensuring he couldn’t run 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.”

While Voyage Bubble is likely to step out in the Group One Champions Mile on April 28, John Size conceded Sight Success is no guarantee to race again this season after finishing fifth behind fellow Hong Kong galloper California Spangle in the Group One Al Quoz Sprint (1,200m) 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 Size and Yiu have a presence in this Sunday’s Champions Day lead-up races, with the former saddling up Howdeepisyourlove in the Group Two Sprint Cup (1,200m) against the likes of Lucky Sweynesse and Lucky With You, as well as Beauty Eternal and Red Lion in the Group Two Chairman’s Trophy (1,600m).

Yiu sends Nimble Nimbus around in the Chairman’s Trophy, conceding it is very much “a prep run” for the Group One QE II Cup (2,000m) on April 28.

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A last-start third behind Romantic Warrior and Voyage Bubble in February’s Group One Gold Cup (2,000m), Nimble Nimbus races over his shortest trip since he finished fifth in a Class Four over the Sha Tin mile in January 2022.

Among Nimble Nimbus’ opponents are Russian Emperor and Taj Dragon, but Sunday’s card is somewhat left wanting for star power in the absence of Group One winners Golden Sixty, Romantic Warrior, Voyage Bubble, California Spangle and Victor The Winner.