Voyage Warrior primed for Group One challenge at Sha Tin

PA Sport Reporters
April 22, 2020 12:00 pm

Hot King Prawn and Aethero again set to be in opposition.

Ricky Yiu is looking to Voyage Warrior to continue his rise through the ranks with Group One glory at Sha Tin on Sunday.

The four-year-old was an all-the-way winner in the Group Two Sprint Cup earlier this month, surprising a number of big names with his three-quarter-length verdict over Hot King Prawn.

Voyage Warrior will now go for glory in the six-furlong Chairman’s Sprint Prize on FWD Champions Day, as he tries to enhance his record of five wins in 10 starts.

Yiu, who is enjoying his best ever season, said: “He’s an improving young horse and I still can’t see the bottom of him yet – there’s a lot still to find out. He’ll do well again over 1200 metres on the big day.

“We’re still learning about him, we’ve been training him up at Conghua (the Hong Kong Jockey Club’s facility in Mainland China) and since he’s gone there he’s matured, he’s not pulling, he’s a lot more relaxed, there’s been a clear benefit from him being in Conghua.

“Not long after the last race we sent him back to Conghua and he enjoys it up there. He’s doing well and all the feedback I’ve had from there has been good. He’ll arrive at Sha Tin later this week.”

Voyage Warrior is set to face the same seven runners who finished behind him earlier this month, with third-placed Thanks Forever due to wear first-time blinkers as he tries to turn around the form.

Trainer John Moore tried out the headgear in a spin on Monday and is hoping replacing cheekpieces with blinkers will work the oracle.

He said: “I think he’s ready to win one of these Group One races. If the favourites aren’t right on their game, he’ll be right there. And the blinkers just might do the trick.”

Moore will also saddle Aethero, who missed the break last time out and pulled too hard for his own good afterwards, finishing last of the eight runners.

He is set to work on Thursday, as is his superstar stablemate Beauty Generation, who goes in the FWD Champions Mile on the same card.