McDonald has chance to return to Hong Kong’s winning Bubble

SHA TIN hosts a 10-race programme on Sunday, featuring the first local Group One of  2024, The Stewards’ Cup (8.05am), worth around £1.3 million in prize money and run over a mile.

Despite the absence of legendary champion Golden Sixty, who was sidelined due to a minor leg injury earlier this month, there are still plenty of Hong Kong’s elite milers lining up to make this a race to savour.

Trainer Tony Cruz has equipped former LONGINES HK Mile winner California Spangle, the winner of 11 races, with cheekpieces for the first time, in an effort to reignite the fire inside the six-year-old after three below-par performances.

Cruz has offered various excuses for those defeats, and the fact that Hugh Bowman, who rode the former champion to victory in a Group Two in October, is back on board, offers hope to his many thousands of fans.

Trainer John Size, the most successful trainer in the history of this contest with seven wins, saddles two contenders, spearheaded by the hugely talented but frustrating Beauty Eternal, winner of eight of his 13 career starts.

It seems strange to be picky about the five-year-old, who has already amassed around £2 million in prize money, but he has been a galloper who has flattered to deceive at the highest level on a number of occasions and will need everything to go right for him.

The fact that Australian champion jockey James McDonald is flying to Hong Kong for the day to partner last season’s HK Classic Mile and HK Derby winner VOYAGE BUBBLE speaks volumes about his chances.

The son of Deep Field, and apple of trainer Ricky Yiu’s eye, confirmed high expectations when chasing home Golden Sixty in the international LONGINES HK Mile in December – both Beauty Eternal and Beauty Glory were behind – and according to his trainer, he has progressed again since.

With a low draw in his favour and McDonald doing the steering, he should take plenty of beating.

POINTERS

Voyage Bubble             8.05 am                Sha Tin