When asked whether he thinks Dubai Honour is the one to beat in this weekend’s G1 Champions & Chater Cup, Tom Marquand has to take a moment to think as he weighs up Voyage Bubble’s home advantage against his mount’s potential upper hand over 2400m.
“It’s really hard to say,” Marquand told Idol Horse. “I do think that if you’re going into a big Group 1 and you’re confident you can stay the trip, you might just be on favourable ground.”
The British rider returns to Sha Tin on Sunday with a Group 1 in his sights, hoping to rain on Voyage Bubble’s parade when the Ricky Yiu-trained galloper attempts to write himself into Hong Kong racing history as only the second horse to complete the city’s Triple Crown.
Voyage Bubble brushed aside his local rivals to win the first two legs of the Triple Crown – January’s G1 Stewards’ Cup (1600m) and February’s G1 Hong Kong Gold Cup (2000m) – but in the William Haggas-trained Dubai Honour, a four-time Group 1 winner and stout performer over 2400m, he faces his toughest test by far.
“If anyone is going to strike fear into you, it is going to be Voyage Bubble,” Marquand said. “He has just been so consistent over a mile and a mile and a quarter. Of course, there’s a chance he might not fully stay over this new distance and hopefully we can be there to capitalise if so, because Dubai Honour is an ultra-consistent Group 1 horse over a mile and a half.
“He’s been a superstar to deal with and he’s won four Group 1s because of that, so I’m looking forward to trying to have a crack over in Hong Kong with him again.”
While the seven-year-old is trained out of Somerville Lodge in Newmarket, England, all four of Dubai Honour’s top-level triumphs have come overseas, including three in Australia.
The Pride Of Dubai gelding claimed the G1 Ranvet Stakes (2000m) and G1 Queen Elizabeth Stakes (2000m) in 2023 before thriving over a mile and half, at which he secured last year’s G1 Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud and most recently the G1 Tancred Stakes at Rosehill last month.
He also has vital experience at Sha Tin, which Marquand hopes will hold him in good stead against the nine-strong local contingent.
“Of course, being in Hong Kong and at Sha Tin, home soil is such a big advantage,” Marquand said. “The home team knows the track like the back of their hand and it is a tough thing to overcome with a foreign horse.
“In saying that, Dubai Honour has been around there a few times and because he has ran well and we know he stays the trip, it’s a big confidence booster.”
Dubai Honour has made four previous trips to Hong Kong. He placed fourth in the G1 Hong Kong Cup (2000m) in 2021 behind Loves Only You, finished third and seventh, respectively, in the 2023 and 2024 renewals of the G1 QEII Cup (2000m) behind Romantic Warrior, and stayed on for second to fellow British galloper Giavellotto in December’s G1 Hong Kong Vase over Sunday’s 2400m trip.
Most recently, Haggas opted against a third crack at last month’s QEII Cup after Dubai Honour’s two-race campaign Down Under. He came away from Australia with an impressive victory in March’s Tancred Stakes and a gallant second to Via Sistina last month in the Queen Elizabeth Stakes over 2000m, which Marquand admits might just be too sharp for the seven-year-old now.
“As he’s got older, I think that mile and a half has been a really big help to him and I think you can see that in the Tancred compared to the Queen Elizabeth run. He can just get caught for a bit of tactical speed over a mile and a quarter now but he’s just so effective at the mile and a half.”
From a tactical point of view, Marquand acknowledges Sunday’s contest could potentially lack genuine early pace, much like the G3 Queen Mother Memorial Cup (2400m) – the traditional trial to the Champions & Chater Cup won by Bundle Award.
But, despite Dubai Honour’s probable stamina advantage over his rivals, the 27-year-old rider believes his mount’s adaptability during a race will allow the pair to gain a favourable position.
“His versatility is also a big plus,” he added. “On Sunday, we can see how the land lies and the pace of the race will dictate where I try to end up on him. He’s become very straightforward over the last couple of years, so his early position isn’t something that I’ll be getting too caught up on beforehand.”
For Marquand more generally, he also sees Sunday’s Champions & Chater Cup as a big chance to bag that all-important Group 1 in Hong Kong, a place he hopes to continue visiting for years to come with his wife, Hollie Doyle.
“Hollie and I have both really enjoyed coming over to Hong Kong in the last few years and it’s somewhere we hope to be spending more time in the future,” the rider said.
“Ticking off a Group 1 over there is important and we’ve been fortunate to do it in a few countries now, but you do want to get that big one in and show what you can do. Fingers crossed, we can do that on Sunday.” ∎
