With Romantic Warrior likely out of play for the rest of the Hong Kong season, trainer Ricky Yiu Poon-fai is considering a historic Triple Crown bid with stable star Voyage Bubble.

Romantic Warrior flies to Dubai on Tuesday to prepare for his audacious Middle East campaign, which rules him out of local features in the coming months, such as the second leg of the Triple Crown, the Group One Hong Kong Gold Cup (2,000m).

Yiu could seize the opportunity with Voyage Bubble, who is fresh from his second Group One success in the Hong Kong Mile on December 8.

The six-year-old will defend his Group One Stewards’ Cup (1,600m) crown – the first leg of the Triple Crown – on January 19 and a Gold Cup triumph could open the door for a tilt at the final leg, the Group One Standard Chartered Champions & Chater Cup (2,400m) in May.

“He’s pulled up 100 per cent, like he hadn’t had a run,” Yiu said of Voyage Bubble’s recovery from his one-and-a-quarter-length victory in the Hong Kong Mile.

“He had a couple of days off then I sent him out again and he was full of life. We’ll see how he goes in the Stewards’ Cup but [the Gold Cup] is part of the plan.

“As for 2,400m, we’ll see how he goes at 2,000m. Correct me if I’m wrong, but I think there’s a HK$10 million bonus for winning the Triple Crown. I don’t think we’ll travel him again – the prize money is good here and he’s not young any more, so we’ll just focus on here.”

Champion galloper River Verdon is the only horse to win the Triple Crown, achieving the feat in 1994.

Ambitious Dragon went close to joining him, winning the Stewards’ Cup and Gold Cup before running second in the Champions & Chater Cup in 2012.

Golden Sixty won the first two legs of the series last year, but connections opted not to start him in the final leg.

While Voyage Bubble has raced exceptionally well at 2,000m, claiming a shock Hong Kong Derby win last year and pushing Romantic Warrior when a close second in February’s Gold Cup, he would step into unchartered territory if extended to the 2,400m of the Champions & Chater Cup.

Yiu’s reluctance to campaign the son of Deep Field overseas again is a result of his two trips last season – an unlucky 13th in the Group One Dubai Turf (1,800m) at Meydan and 17th in the Group One Yasuda Kinen (1,600m) at Tokyo, in which he struggled racing anticlockwise.

Meanwhile, Yiu will take a team of six runners to Sha Tin on Wednesday night for the all-weather programme, with Harry’s Hero set to back up from his turf win at the same course on Sunday.

The former British galloper claimed his maiden Hong Kong success at start 21 in the Class Five Lukfook Jewellery Wedding Collection Handicap (1,400m), delivering young French star Alexis Pouchin his first win in the city.

Keagan de Melo is booked to ride Harry’s Hero in Wednesday night’s Class Five Sha Lek Handicap (1,800m).

Yiu and Pouchin will team up again in the first section of the Class Four Sha Tin Wai Handicap (1,200m) with Chill Kaka, who makes his debut off the back of two encouraging dirt trials.

Diamond Soars, Dragon Air Force, Bowser and Jolly Ruler are the other runners for Yiu, who has prepared 14 winners this term.