Zac Purton has been booked to ride Voyage Bubble as the champion jockey and five-time Group One winner prepare for another stoush with Romantic Warrior in the Group Two Jockey Club Cup (2,000m) on November 23.

Purton will ride Ricky Yiu Poon-fai’s stable star for the first time since last year’s Group One Yasuda Kinen (1,600m) in Japan after connections opted to step Voyage Bubble up in trip rather than stay at 1,600m in the Group Two Jockey Club Mile.

That move made the prized ride available, with Voyage Bubble’s regular rider James McDonald committed to riding champion galloper Romantic Warrior in his return from injury in the Jockey Club Cup.

Voyage Bubble, who ran 12th to My Wish in the Group Two Sha Tin Trophy (1,600m) first up under Matthew Poon Ming-fai, was initially on a path towards the Jockey Club Mile and December’s Group One Hong Kong Mile.

“It was mostly the owner’s idea so we could put Zac on,” Yiu said.

“I would think [the 2,000m will suit him better] because at the shorter distance, he doesn’t have that good turn of foot these days as he gets older.”

Purton was aboard Voyage Bubble in his epic clash with Romantic Warrior in last year’s Group One Gold Cup (2,000m), with the latter holding off the former to win by a neck, while barrier 15 and the anticlockwise direction of racing caused Voyage Bubble’s downfall when he ran 17th behind Romantic Warrior in the Yasuda Kinen.

McDonald guided Voyage Bubble to five victories last season, including his historic clean sweep of the Triple Crown – the Group One Stewards’ Cup (1,600m), Gold Cup and Group One Champions & Chater Cup (2,400m).

Yiu expects significant improvement second up from Voyage Bubble, who was ridden hard in the early stages before fading under top weight of 135lb in the Sha Tin Trophy.

Romantic Warrior, who has been off the scene since undergoing surgery on a fetlock injury in May, continued his preparation for the Jockey Club Cup with an impressive trial victory over 1,200m on the Sha Tin dirt on Friday morning.

The 10-time Group One winner settled just behind the leaders and kept on well under his own steam to beat Moments In Time by half a length.

Jockey Hugh Bowman, who regularly rides Romantic Warrior in his trials, said Danny Shum Chap-shing’s stable star was primed for his return from injury.

“His coat’s come through since he had his first outing at Happy Valley about a month ago and he’s ticking over nicely,” Bowman said.

“I don’t work with him very much, but obviously someone needs to trial him and I help out where I can. He’s come back in good form, good condition and he feels fantastic.

“His first two trials, I really sort of managed his energy a fair bit but although it was only 1,200m, I let him use himself this morning without putting any pressure on him and you could see for yourself. He went to the line pretty well and felt good.

“He’s come back in as good a form, if not better, than this time last year I think.”

The quality trial on Friday also featured Group One placegetter Galaxy Patch, who was close behind in third ahead of his tilt at the Jockey Club Mile, and Group Three winners Patch Of Theta (fourth), Chancheng Glory (seventh) and Ensued (eighth).