It took 31 years for Hong Kong’s Triple Crown to be won again, but it might only be 12 months until history repeats if Voyage Bubble continues his winning ways.

Trainer Ricky Yiu Poon-fai said it was a case of “dreams come true” when his stable star famously completed the rare treble of the Group One Stewards’ Cup (1,600m), Group One Gold Cup (2,000m) and Group One Champions & Chater Cup (2,400m) earlier this year.

And after his defiant success in last Sunday’s Group One Hong Kong Mile, snaring the city’s top 1,600m race for the second straight year, Yiu confirmed Voyage Bubble will chase another slice of history with a second crack at the Triple Crown in 2026.

“He’s absolutely fine. He never gets tired,” Yiu said, confirming the son of Deep Field pulled up well from his fighting triumph over Japan’s Soul Rush.

“He’s an amazing horse. He’ll go to the same races – the Stewards’ Cup is next.”

While River Verdon was the only other winner of the Triple Crown in 1993-94, he did not attempt what Voyage Bubble will the following season.

After a tilt at the Group One Cox Plate (2,040m) and Group One Melbourne Cup (3,200m) in Australia, the trailblazing galloper did not contest the Stewards’ Cup, which was then run in November. He ran third in the Gold Cup but did not press on to the Champions & Chater.

At the age of seven, Voyage Bubble shows no signs of slowing down and while he might not have the megastar status of a Romantic Warrior or Ka Ying Rising, he is a champion in his own right.

Back-to-back Triple Crowns would no doubt add another historic layer to his remarkable career.

He isn’t the only local Longines Hong Kong International Races (HKIR) victor treading the same path as last season, with Romantic Warrior expected to seek redemption in the Group One Saudi Cup (1,800m) and Group One Dubai Turf (1,800m) in 2026 and Ka Ying Rising again bound for Hong Kong’s Speed Series treble.

One galloper who could switch course is Fast Network, who continued his rise through the sprint ranks with a fine third behind Ka Ying Rising in the Group One Hong Kong Sprint (1,200m).

With Ka Ying Rising proving unstoppable in all of the city’s major sprint features, Fast Network’s trainer Dennis Yip Chor-hong and owner Ng Hung-yau are considering a crack at the Group One Al Quoz Sprint (1,200m) at Meydan in March.

Attention turns to Classic Series

With HKIR in the rear-view mirror, the focus switches to the four-year-old series as the build up to the first leg – the Classic Mile on February 1 – heats up.

The clash between exciting four-year-olds Invincible Ibis and Dazzling Fit in the last of Saturday’s 11 races at Sha Tin shapes as perhaps the most important guide to the Classic Mile so far this term.

Sky Joy boasts a similar rating to those two gallopers, but Yiu’s three-time winner must prove himself beyond 1,200m for the first time in Saturday’s penultimate race, the Class Three Spruce Handicap (1,400m).

“He only won by a short margin last time, so it’s our intention to run him over a bit further and see how he goes,” said Yiu of Sky Joy, who overcame a wide trip to beat fellow Classic Mile prospect Public Attention last start.

“He’s on the way up.”

Packing Glory is perhaps Yiu’s best four-year-old after an outstanding win up the straight on debut, but the veteran handler has him pegged as a sprinter rather than a miler.

The Harry Angel gelding bids to extend his unbeaten record to two in Saturday’s Class Four Cedar Handicap (1,000m).

“He’s going well. He’s still in Class Four so he should have a good chance. He goes up in weight, but Zac [Purton] will handle it,” Yiu said.