Ricky Yiu Poon-fai is hoping in-form jockey Jerry Chau Chun-lok can “inject some new ideas” into Voyage Bubble as last season’s Triple Crown hero looks to bounce back in Monday’s Group Two Chairman’s Trophy (1,600m) at Sha Tin.

The six-time Group One winner became the first horse since River Verdon in 1994 to land the Triple Crown and showed he was better than ever this campaign with a sparkling win the Group One Hong Kong Mile in December.

Subsequent runs have been slightly below his best, however, and his latest run in particular in the Group One Gold Cup (2,000m), where he trailled in fifth of sixth behind Romantic Warrior, was one of the most disappointing of his career.

Perhaps surprisingly, Yiu has opted to go a different route with his stable star and has called up Chau into the saddle, and he is hoping a new perspective can help Voyage Bubble return to his glorious best from stall three.

“He’s a horse that I wouldn’t often be able to criticise – he never usually puts a step wrong,” Yiu said. “He’s had a trial since his last start and I couldn’t say a bad comment about him – even the jockey, who is new to him, likes him a lot.

“I said to Jerry ‘he’s not a difficult ride, he’s an easy ride’. The main reason I put Jerry on him is because he’s an up-and-coming young jockey and at the same time, maybe he can inject some new ideas into the horse.

“Maybe freshening him up over a mile won’t be a bad thing.”

Yiu has asked Chau to study up on Voyage Bubble’s run in last season’s Gold Cup, where he overcame trouble in running to win leg two of the Triple Crown.

“His most memorable run last season was in the Gold Cup; he had a big stumble at the final bend and that placed him behind midfield in an awkward position,” Yiu said.

“He still managed to come home strong and this is the race I emphasised to Jerry to have a good study of.”

Yiu also runs Sunlight Power in the Group Two contest, who narrowly missed in the Group Two Jockey Club Mile earlier this campaign and will break from barrier eight under Vincent Ho Chak-yiu.

“He seems to be playing the second string this time, but he’s always close and consistent. I wouldn’t mind even of them winning of course; I can see him running well too,” Yiu said.

Yiu has a smart team assembled for Monday’s card, with Packing Glory looking to have stand-out claims in the Class Three Harlech Handicap (1,400m) from barrier three.

“I said to the jockey afterwards that he rode the horse a bit upside down – it was his first time at 1,400m and he hit the front too soon and he became a bit one-paced at the end,” Yiu said.

“This time, I will ask Matthew [Chadwick] to put him midfield behind the main pace. That will give him plenty of time to save his energy.”

Yiu also lets Rapid Phantom, Victor Supreme, Lucrative Eight and Mighty Strength loose on a big day for the stable.