Caspar Fownes has confirmed Straight Arron will be set for a clash with fellow Hong Kong galloper Voyage Bubble in the Group One Dubai Turf (1,800m) at Meydan on March 30.

Fownes has opted for the Dubai Turf after also entering Straight Arron in the Group One Dubai Sheema Classic (2,410m) at the Dubai World Cup meeting.

The son of Fastnet Rock has continued his rapid progression this season, with his Group Two Jockey Club Cup (2,000m) victory and close fourth to Romantic Warrior in the Group One Hong Kong Cup (2,000m) the two highlights.

He has been beaten by Voyage Bubble in their two recent clashes, finishing sixth behind Ricky Yiu Poon-fai’s quality galloper in the Group One Stewards’ Cup (1,600m) and fourth behind Romantic Warrior and Voyage Bubble in the Group One Gold Cup (2,000m).

“He’s going good,” Fownes said. “It was a bit of a forgive run the other day [in the Gold Cup] because he got taken out in the first corner and it definitely cost us third place.

“The first two were too good on the day, but the start before that was very, very good over 1,800m [when third in the Centenary Vase].

“Just going through his form, we thought it was worthwhile going there over 1,800m. It’s going to be tough, but his run in [December’s Hong Kong Cup] was outstanding.

“He didn’t have the best of luck against some of the best staying horses around, so we’ll take him for a trip and hopefully it will toughen him up and show us where we are on the world stage.”

Straight Arron and Voyage Bubble are expected to be joined in Dubai by Sight Success, who returns for another crack at the Group One Al Quoz Sprint (1,200m) after running fourth in the race last year.

The John Size-trained sprinter warmed up for his latest overseas venture when winning a Conghua trial on Monday.

Pierre Ng Pang-chi’s quality sprinter Taj Dragon could also run in the Al Quoz Sprint after he tackles Sunday’s Group One Queen’s Silver Jubilee Cup (1,400m) at Sha Tin.

Multiple Group One winner Russian Emperor is no certainty to join Hong Kong’s travelling team in Dubai, however, with Douglas Whyte weighing up whether to set him for the Dubai Sheema Classic.

Back home after a last-start fifth in the H.H. The Amir Trophy (2,400m) in Qatar, Russian Emperor galloped on the course proper at Sha Tin on Tuesday morning.

“I’ve just spoken to [Jockey Club head of racing product] Greg Carpenter to see what the final field would look like,” Whyte said. “If I can’t earn prize money, I don’t really want to go. It’s a long way.

“At the moment he’s entered, he’s healthy and the plan is to go if I think I can earn some prize money. It looks a potentially strong field.”

Russian Emperor ran eighth behind Japanese sensation Equinox in last year’s Dubai Sheema Classic.

Meanwhile, Group One Centenary Cup (1,200m) winner Victor The Winner tuned up for his trip to Japan with a trial win under race rider Derek Leung Ka-chun at Sha Tin on Tuesday.

Danny Shum Chap-shing will run the consistent sprinter in the Group One Takamatsunomiya Kinen (1,200m) at Chukyo on March 24.

“Today we gave him an easy trial and he trialled good,” Leung said. “We found cover to let him learn something [new] and he’s doing pretty good. I will go [to Japan] on Tuesday to gallop him on the grass.”

Earlier on Tuesday morning, Golden Sixty pleased Francis Lui Kin-wai in his first gallop since Christmas after he was sidelined with a leg injury.

“It was his first gallop after a break and it was just easy,” Lui said. “He’s certainly fine. He’ll have one or two barrier trials before he races.”

The city’s most successful galloper, Golden Sixty will be retired after the Group One Champions Mile (1,600m) on April 28.