A confident Ricky Yiu Poon-fai is adamant Voyage Bubble can reverse the form with Galaxy Patch when the pair face off in Sunday’s Group Two BOCHK Private Wealth Jockey Club Mile.

Outsprinted by Galaxy Patch first up in October’s Group Two Sha Tin Trophy (1,600m), Voyage Bubble heads into this weekend’s contest seeking revenge on Pierre Ng Pang-chi’s emerging star.

Voyage Bubble will have the added boost of being ridden by superstar Kiwi James McDonald, who will bid to emulate his success aboard the galloper in January’s Group One Stewards’ Cup (1,600m).

“It was a really good effort on his last start,” Yiu said. “For his first run of the season, it was tremendous.

“I’m looking forward to Sunday. James will ride him and I think it’s likely he will turn the tables on Galaxy Patch.”

After finding only Golden Sixty too good in last year’s Group One Hong Kong Mile (1,600m), Voyage Bubble broke through at the top level when he surged clear of Beauty Eternal under McDonald in the Stewards’ Cup.

Yiu’s stable star was narrowly denied by Romantic Warrior in the Group One Hong Kong Gold Cup (2,000m) on his next start, before overseas flops in Dubai and Tokyo either side of his gallant third in April’s Group One Champions Mile.

After his pleasing seasonal reappearance in the Sha Tin Trophy, Voyage Bubble stretched his legs in a quiet trial at Conghua last week, with the son of Deep Field ridden conservatively under a firm hold to finish in midfield.

“He had his trial Tuesday and he’s full of beans. He’s just a lovely horse,” Yiu said.

“I was pretty happy with the trial. I said to the rider to give him an easy trial and let him enjoy himself and he did it well.”

Voyage Bubble carried 135 pounds on his last start – six more than Galaxy Patch – and has to concede five to Ng’s charge this weekend as a Group One winner.

He also reopposes Champions Mile victor Beauty Eternal and stablemate Straight Arron, who ran on well for third first up in the Sha Tin Trophy.

In his first start for Yiu, Straight Arron travelled powerfully in midfield and kept on well in the closing stages under Brenton Avdulla.

Despite suggesting at the beginning of the season that Straight Arron may be past his best after 19 outings for Caspar Fownes, Yiu is now under the impression the son of Fastnet Rock has more to offer.

“He’ll be close,” Yiu said. “Since I got him, he’s improved out of sight. I’ve changed my opinion on him. When I got him I didn’t know how much he had left, but now I think there’s a little bit of something left in him.”

Straight Arron was successful four times for Fownes over two seasons, including in the Group Two Jockey Club Cup (2,000m) in November last year.

While the galloper’s wins have come over 1,800m or further, Yiu believes he has the ability to thrive over the shorter trip.

“I think a mile is fine,” Yiu said. “He ran well last time and the prize money is good.”

Yiu sits seventh in the trainers’ championship with eight wins from the season’s first 19 meetings.

The veteran handler takes a team of six runners to Happy Valley on Wednesday, with Smart City, Victorythirtythree, Bowser, Affirm, Golden Artie and Eason lining up across the nine-race card.