There’ll never be another Golden Sixty, but Voyage Bubble confirmed the future of Hong Kong’s mile division is in safe hands with a commanding victory in Sunday’s Group One Stewards’ Cup (1,600m).

With the three-time Horse of the Year sidelined by injury, $1.9 favourite Voyage Bubble seized his opportunity with a dazzling maiden Group One success.

“He’s going to be a force to be reckoned with here and a flag-bearer for the horses here,” said star Kiwi jockey James McDonald after jetting in to plunder another Sha Tin feature.

“I’m just looking forward to seeing where he fits in, obviously being such a young, progressive horse.”

While McDonald wins Group Ones for fun and was celebrating his Hong Kong Cup (2,000m) success aboard Romantic Warrior only six weeks ago, Voyage Bubble’s elite-level success ended a long time between drinks for trainer Ricky Yiu Poon-fai.

While Yiu won last season’s Hong Kong Derby with Voyage Bubble, his last Group One success came way back in 2014 thanks to Amber Sky’s Al Quoz Sprint success in Dubai.

“I’ve been waiting for some years [for a horse like this],” said the 66-year-old. “Everything matched my expectations. I was happy with the way he travelled and hit the line. I’m really happy and really happy with the horse. He’s full of talent and he keeps improving.”

Settled a few lengths off pacesetter California Spangle in a race run around a length inside standard for the first 800m, Voyage Bubble tracked second favourite Beauty Eternal and Zac Purton before looming up on the outside cornering for home.

After assuming the lead at the 300m, Voyage Bubble always looked to be finishing strongest as he pulled a length and a quarter clear of Beauty Eternal.

“I was pretty happy where I was. I was in a nice, controlling position where I felt if the pace slackened – which it did – that I was in a free-rolling position and I had enough room around that I could go when I wanted to go. It worked out perfectly,” McDonald said.

“Obviously, with Zac’s mount [Beauty Eternal], it was going to be a tactical affair and he went forward and got a nice position, but I’m very proud of this horse. He put in a fantastic run in the international mile and backed it up today.”

A length and a half behind Golden Sixty in last month’s Group One Hong Kong Mile, Voyage Bubble’s dynamic Stewards’ Cup showing left many shifting their thoughts to the tantalising prospect of a rematch in April’s Group One Champions Mile, a race that could be Golden Sixty’s last.

There could be plenty to look forward to before then, however, with Yiu and Voyage Bubble’s myriad owners – there were almost 100 people in the winning photo – considering a couple of overseas options.

Voyage Bubble holds an entry for the Group One Dubai Turf (1,800m) on World Cup night at Meydan on March 30, while the Group One Doncaster Mile at Randwick in April is also on the table.

“We really have to sit down and have a good look at the programme before we plan anything,” Yiu said. “I really haven’t had a good talk to the owner yet, but at this stage [heading abroad] is only under consideration.”

For McDonald, who has now won five Group Ones at Sha Tin in the space of little more than 13 months, the only thing that really matters about Voyage Bubble’s next target is that he’s there with him.

“He’s lightly raced, he’s five, he’s at the peak of his powers. The world’s his oyster, really. They can go wherever they want to go, Australia, Dubai or Japan – I don’t know, I’ll leave that to the connections to see where he fits in against really good international competitors,” he said.

“I personally think his distance is a mile – he’s a sharp miler, he’s got great gate speed and puts himself in a good position.”

Both McDonald and Yiu walked away with doubles, with McDonald posting another win aboard the impressive Wunderbar in the Class Three Bennet’s Hill Handicap (1,200m) and Yiu stunning punters by pinching the Class Two Keung Shan Handicap (2,000m) with $55 chance Natural Storm.