They’ve teamed up for success twice from just six attempts in the past two seasons and Ricky Yiu Poon-fai is confident Mickael Barzalona is the right man to get the best out of Voyage Bubble at Meydan later this month.

The Frenchman will ride the reigning Hong Kong Derby (2,000m) champion for the first time in the Group One Dubai Turf (1,800m) on March 30’s World Cup night, with Yiu opting for a jockey who is a regular visitor to Meydan through his role as Godolphin’s principal rider in France.

“He’s been riding in Dubai, he’s familiar with the track, he knows the horses and my horse is not a difficult ride. He’s an easy ride. I like Barzalona’s style, he’s tough and he changes the stick really quickly,” Yiu said when asked why he chose Barzalona over the likes of James McDonald, Zac Purton and Alexis Badel, who have all ridden Voyage Bubble this season.

Barzalona won for Yiu as recently as December’s Hong Kong International Races undercard, saluting aboard C P Brave, and was at Sha Tin to partner Speed Dragon for Francis Lui Kin-wai in last weekend’s Classic Cup.

Voyage Bubble spearheads Hong Kong’s Dubai World Cup team, which also features Straight Arron and Sight Success and could see the addition of a couple of others after Sunday’s Group One Queen’s Silver Jubilee Cup (1,400m).

After breaking through at Group One level in January’s Stewards’ Cup (1,600m), Voyage Bubble ran second to Romantic Warrior in the recent Group One Gold Cup (2,000m) and will now tackle 1,800m for the second time in his career.

“Last season in the four-year-old series, he got beaten over 1,800m [in the Classic Cup]. He won the Classic Mile, he won [the Derby at] 2,000m, but he got beaten over 1,800m. But he’s more mature, he’s tougher, so the 1,800m shouldn’t be a problem for him now. The roomy track will help and he’s got a good brain,” Yiu said of his charge.

Six days before Dubai World Cup night is the Hong Kong Derby and Yiu has confirmed he will try his luck in the race with Golden Artie should the gelding salute at Sha Tin this Sunday.

As it stands, Yiu’s Classic Cup 12th placegetter, Simply Maverick, sits just outside the Derby cut-off line on a rating of 74, however the 73-rated Golden Artie could rocket firmly into contention if successful in Sunday’s Class Three Tak Ku Ling Handicap (1,600m).

“I would take a chance with him but I’m not sure he’d run the 2,000m. Over that trip he might pull too hard, the mile is probably his best trip. Don’t get me wrong, I’d give it a go and we’d have a chance,” Yiu said.

Also among Yiu’s Sunday runners are Spirited Express, C P Brave and Natural Storm, who all tackle the Class Two South Wall Handicap (1,800m).

“Spirited Express is my best in that race, he’s got a bit more class than the others and last time the mile was too sharp for him,” the trainer said.