Torryburn Stud bred and sold Voyage Bubble was a sale ring star as a baby and has blossomed in later life to be a race track star in Hong Kong leading home an Aussie bred trifecta in the Group I Stewards’ Cup (1600m) at Sha Tin on Sunday when defeating Beauty Eternal (Starspangledbanner) and Beauty Joy (Sebring).
Trained by Ricky Yiu and ridden by James McDonald, Voyage Bubble powered clear at the finish for a soft length and a quarter win, his sixth victory with six minor placings from 15 starts with prize money of HK$41.05 million. Winner of the Hong Kong Derby and Classic Mile last season for four year-olds, Voyage Bubble came into this race off a second to Golden Sixty in the Group I HK International Mile and this win was his first in an open Group I race.
Voyage Bubble gave McDonald his second Hong Kong Group 1 score this season after Romantic Warrior’s G1 LONGINES Hong Kong Cup (2000m) success.
“I was in a nice, controlling position where I felt like if the pace slackened – which it did – that I was in a free-rolling position and I had enough room around so that I could go when I wanted to go and it worked out perfectly,” McDonald said.
“I’m very proud of this horse. He put in a fantastic run in the International Mile (G1 LONGINES Hong Kong Mile, 1600m, when second to Golden Sixty) and backed it up today. There’s no heir apparent to Golden Sixty but we’re happy to be the next man jogging on the spot, so to speak, and we’re probably lucky the champ wasn’t there.
Overseas goals in 2024 may be on the cards for Voyage Bubble.
“He’s lightly-raced, he’s five, he’s at the peak of his powers. The world’s his oyster, really. They can go wherever they want to go, Australia, Dubai or Japan – I don’t know, I’ll leave that to the connections to see where he fits in against really good international competitors,” McDonald added.
Voyage Bubble was bought by his trainer for $380,000 at Inglis Classic from the Torryburn draft and is a half-brother to Group III winner Diddums and stakes-placed Brettan being the best of seven winners from seven to race out of good producer Raheights. She has not had a foal since 2019, but was covered last spring by Home Affairs, who was also bred and sold by Torryburn.
“He’s (Voyage Bubble) a fantastic horse,” said Brett Cornish of Torryburn Stud.
“The pace looked slow, but he really won very easily and just seems to be getting better and better with age.
“He was one of two Torryburn-bred Inglis graduates in the race and I think the other, Straight Arron, can make his presence felt in a race like the G1 Hong Kong Gold Cup next month.
“Thanks to (Stud Manager) Mel (Copelin) and the team, the farm is operating at an extremely high level and regularly producing top racehorses.
“It’s exciting to be bringing 11 yearlings to the Classic Sale in a few weeks, a sale that has been very good to us through the likes of Hot King Prawn and Voyage Bubble.
“We have also sold the likes of Home Affairs and Straight Arron at Easter, so I think the market can approach our select draft of 5 at that sale with real confidence also.”
Click here to see the Torryburn stud draft for Inglis Classic.
The fourth Group I winner for Newgate Farm’s now retired Deep Field, Voyage Bubble is the consummate professional and was the most expensive of 20 yearlings by his sire sold at Inglis Classic in 2020 topping the entire sale.
Deep Field has half a dozen entries for Inglis Classic, two for Karaka Book 1, three for Inglis Premier and 11 for Inglis Easter.
