Ricky Yiu Poon-fai has Voyage Bubble “full of beans” after a strong trial win over Romantic Warrior, but he doubts his stable star can turn the tables on his arch rival in Sunday’s Group One Gold Cup (2,000m) at Sha Tin.

The two prolific Group One winners clash once again, with Romantic Warrior bidding to keep his Triple Crown hopes alive after claiming the first leg – the Group One Stewards’ Cup (1,600m) last month.

Voyage Bubble ran third in that race after slipping behind on jumping and racing wide without cover for most of the event.

Yiu’s reigning Triple Crown hero has since trialled impressively, getting the better of Romantic Warrior by half a length over 1,600m on the Sha Tin turf last week.

“He’s doing well. He’s a horse that’s full of beans,” Yiu said.

“He trialled very well and I think he’ll run well again.”

While Yiu couldn’t be happier with his charge, he conceded 12-time Group One victor Romantic Warrior would be tough to beat once again.

“Romantic Warrior is such a good horse – it’s very hard and difficult against him,” Yiu said.

“Voyage Bubble’s last run was promising and put it this way, he’s a horse that can always give you a real surprise.”

Voyage Bubble won last year’s Gold Cup while Romantic Warrior was in the Middle East during an extensive overseas campaign.

Zac Purton again rides Voyage Bubble, who jumps from the outside gate in the field of six.

Romantic Warrior has drawn gate four with James McDonald on board. Danny Shum Chap-shing’s champion galloper also beat Voyage Bubble by a nose in the Gold Cup in 2024 and ran second to Golden Sixty in the contest in 2023.

Outside the star duo, My Wish will step up to 2,000m for the first time since his Hong Kong Derby second with Hugh Bowman taking the reins for the first time in a race.

Mark Newnham’s quality five-year-old has had excuses in his past two runs, including last time out when sharing fourth with Sunlight Power in the Stewards’ Cup.

Beauty Joy, Ensued and Winning Wing, who gives Dylan Mo Hin-tung his first Hong Kong Group One ride, round out the field.

Mo, who rode in the Group One Singapore Derby in 2023, has notched three of his four wins of the season on Francis Lui Kin-wai’s Winning Wing, including last start at the course and distance of Sunday’s feature.

Elsewhere on Sunday’s card, Yiu is keen on Rising Force’s chances in the second section of the Class Three Citi Insurance Services Handicap (1,200m) after he drew ideally in barrier three.

He won brilliantly from gate 14 first up and went down fighting from the same draw when second to Happy Index last start.

“He’s doing well and he needed a good draw. He’s a very consistent horse,” Yiu said of the Deep Field gelding, who also won on debut on the dirt last year.

Volcanic Spark and Mr Ascendency, who tackles the Class Two Citi Credit Card Handicap (1,400m), are Yiu’s other Sunday runners.