James McDonald and Zac Purton are optimistic they will have a big say in a wide-open Group One Hong Kong Mile at Sha Tin on Sunday when they ride Galaxy Patch and Voyage Bubble, respectively.

In what looms as the most open contest of the four Longines Hong Kong International Races (HKIR) features, the Mile could become a blockbuster showdown between the two champion jockeys.

Galaxy Patch and Voyage Bubble are two of the headline acts in the HK$36 million race, with the former coming off a barnstorming victory in the Group Two Jockey Club Mile and the latter dropping back in distance after running second to Romantic Warrior in the Group Two Jockey Club Cup (2,000m).

McDonald stuck on his first race ride on Galaxy Patch, saving valuable ground on the inside rail in the straight to help Pierre Ng Pang-chi’s stable star break through for his first success in 13 months.

And in an ominous warning to his rivals, McDonald believes the son of Wandjina has improved again heading into the Hong Kong Mile.

“I was very impressed and what I’ve been more impressed with is his trial since. I thought he was brilliant coming out of that race,” McDonald said of Galaxy Patch, who ran fifth under a firm hold in a recent dirt trial.

“We’ve always known he’s a very good, talented horse, he just hasn’t had the rub of the green over time because of his racing style. But on his day, he’s as good a horse as any and he just needs the luck to go his way and that’s again on Sunday.

“It’s a big field, he’s going to need pace on, he gets back but he’s definitely capable of running over the top of them. He’s up to this level, I feel.”

Galaxy Patch saluted with the blinkers reapplied last start, but Ng has opted to take them off again and add visors to the gelding’s gear for Sunday.

McDonald believes the six-year-old is primed to produce a peak performance.

“He’s a mature six-year-old gelding now and this is his time now to really shine, so hopefully he gets his day in the sun because he’s a Group One quality horse,” McDonald said.

“It would be lovely like last time, but it’s unlikely that that’s going to happen again. As everyone knows, it’s hard to spot Group One horses six lengths turning for home and run them down because they’re all equally good, so he’s got to help himself and if he does help himself, he’ll be in the finish.”

Galaxy Patch was an unlucky seventh in last year’s Hong Kong Mile, which was won by Voyage Bubble with McDonald on board.

Purton regained the ride for the Jockey Club Cup and was impressed by Voyage Bubble’s run in defeat.

“It was a winning performance without winning. Romantic Warrior’s just too good, he’s in a league of his own,” Purton said.

“Running second to him is no disgrace at all, but the problem we face with this race is last season when he was running over 2,000m and dropped back to the mile, that’s when he got beat. He was a bit dour, he got outsprinted so that’s our concern.

“You look at his record and it’s an extremely impressive CV. He’s just been overshadowed by two exceptional horses at the moment, but he’s a great horse in his own right.”

Purton’s task was made more difficult when Ricky Yiu Poon-fai’s Voyage Bubble drew wide in barrier 12. Galaxy Patch has drawn five, while one of the other leading contenders, My Wish, drew ideally in gate two.