While John Size takes a three-pronged attack into Sunday’s BMW Hong Kong Derby, the champion handler will have an eye to the future when his two gun three-year-olds Courier Wonder and Fantastic Way take to the track.

Courier Wonder could not have been more impressive when winning by five-and-a-quarter lengths on debut in October, but has not been sighted since after Size opted to give the son of Sacred Falls time to fill out.

Returning in Sunday’s Class Three Designs On Rome Handicap (1,200m), Courier Wonder is likely to start a prohibitive odds-on favourite under Joao Moreira from barrier one.

Size was effusive in his praise following his debut win, declaring “I haven’t had one like that for a while”, but is adamant stepping into Class Three presents a different set of challenges.

Pressed on what caused the five-month lay-off, Size said it was simply a matter of giving the talented speedster time to mature.

“[The win] was impressive, he got away from them confidently and was able to just press on,” he said.

“I thought he wasn’t ready to go into a higher grade at that stage. Hopefully he is strong enough now for Class Three.

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“Trainers can recognise whether they should get going or whether we should back off them as three-year-olds. I opted to back off him.”

Size has given Courier Wonder a similar run into Sunday’s race as his debut performance, sending him to the trials four times to ensure his fitness.

While Size typically trains a handful of prodigious youngsters each season, he thinks Courier Wonder is unique in that it is hard to compare him to any he’s had before.

Champion’s Way won six of his first seven starts as a three-year-old in the 2018-19 season, boosting his rating from 52 to 102 in that time, but Size said Courier Wonder has taken longer to mature.

“I can’t think of a horse he would remind me of,” he said. “He is a completely different type to Champion’s Way, I kept racing him. He was quite competent at this age, he was up for it.”

Owned by the same connections as Champion’s Way, Fantastic Way is another of Size’s three-year-old brigade on the way up and is looking for three wins in a row in the Class Three Luger Handicap (1,200m).

The son of Swiss Ace has taken all before him and Size was impressed with his performance from barrier 13 last time out.

“It was an awkward race and he got the job done last time,” he said. “It was quite a difficult assignment actually so we will try him again.

“He is a young horse as well, but he won quite well and he seems OK at the moment.”

It shapes as a huge day for Size, who lost his lead in the trainers’ championship to Caspar Fownes on Wednesday night.

Along with Excellent Proposal, Lucky Express and Silver Express in the Derby, the 11-time champion handler saddles up Savaquin, Beauty Legacy and Leading Fortune.