Ricky Yiu Poon-fai is optimistic he can add to his excellent overseas record and topple Romantic Warrior in the process when Voyage Bubble graces the Tokyo turf in Sunday’s Group One Yasuda Kinen (1,600m).

Yiu is no stranger to experiencing international big-race success, with triumphs in Japan, the United Arab Emirates and Singapore.

He was successful with Ultra Fantasy in the Land of the Rising Sun in the Group One Sprinters Stakes (1,200m) 14 years ago and the veteran handler believes Voyage Bubble has the right attributes to add his name to the Yasuda Kinen honour roll.

“You have to have the right horse to participate in this particular race,” Yiu said. “He’s a very intelligent horse and he’s a good traveller. He’s a tough horse and he’s adapted really well to the left-handed track.”

Voyage Bubble will face a stern test when he jumps from stall 15 in the 18-runner field, with a host of Japanese challengers and fellow Hong Kong galloper, Romantic Warrior, standing in his way.

While Voyage Bubble was narrowly denied by Danny Shum Chap-shing’s superstar in a ding-dong battle in February’s Group One Gold Cup (2,000m), Yiu is confident his galloper has a live chance of reversing the form over a mile.

“I think we have a chance [of beating Romantic Warrior],” Yiu said. “I think Romantic Warrior is better over 1,800m or 2,000m, but my fella has more over a mile and should be able to run a better race than him. That’s what I believe, otherwise I wouldn’t come.”

Last year’s Hong Kong Derby (2,000m) hero has gone from strength to strength this term and followed up his runner-up effort to Golden Sixty in December’s Group One Hong Kong Mile with a breakthrough win at the top level in the Stewards’ Cup (1,600m) under James McDonald.

After his Gold Cup defeat, in which the galloper stretched beyond a mile for the first time since his marquee win in the four-year-old series, the son of Deep Field was unable to land a blow at Meydan when on his first overseas mission in March.

Voyage Bubble endured a tough time of it when 13th in the Group One Dubai Turf (1,800m), but bounced back to finish third in the Group One Champions Mile on April 28.

“I think we should forget the run in Dubai,” Yiu said. “A horse fell next to him in the straight and the jockey could not use him much because he had nowhere to go.

“He had a little bit of a setback after Dubai – only for a week or so – but since he’s been home, he’s been back to his old form. He’s on track every morning, he finishes his feed. The barrier trial in Hong Kong before he came here was promising as well.”

Voyage Bubble has also been given an entry for the Group One Takarazuka Kinen (2,200m) at Kyoto racecourse on June 23, but Yiu says he will wait to see how his galloper copes on Sunday before deciding on his participation.

“It depends on how he runs in the Yasuda Kinen,” Yiu said. “He’s a versatile horse. He’s won over a mile, he’s won over 2,000m. We’ll decide after Sunday. It depends on how he runs and the feedback from the jockey.”