Everyone else might be excited about the prospects of Luger stretching or even beating Able Friend in the Group One Champions Mile at Sha Tin this afternoon but a long career in training has taught John Size that one of the basics is not to put the cart before the horse.

Size has been a Champions Mile winner before and on both sides of the fence - Electronic Unicorn's win in 2003 had more in common with the expectations on Able Friend today, but his 2009 success with Sight Winner was a 64-1 shock.

Luger's spectacular Derby win after sitting off the track in an unrelenting pace juxtaposed with world champion miler Able Friend's supposed dip in form in winning the Chairman's Trophy is a recipe for a match-up that has caught the imagination.

"Like everyone else, I'm looking forward to the contest, but I just don't want to be too disappointed," Size said yesterday on the eve of Luger's biggest challenge and perhaps Able Friend's biggest challenger for some time.

"I'm a realist - my hope is that Luger runs his race and he pulls up well. I'm long past the point of going to races with high expectations - I'd prefer to keep them low and hope for a nice surprise. Able Friend's a super horse, you don't expect to just turn up and beat a horse like that."

Size is not buying the argument that Able Friend disappointed in the Chairman's Trophy, however it appeared.

"That vision can be an illusion, and the idea that he was tired or disappointing might just be wishful thinking. It's unrealistic to think horses will keep turning up and performing the same way but he did win the race after all," he said.

"Able Friend put in his best run at his eighth start last season when he ran second to Variety Club in this race, and this time it's his seventh run. I can only worry about Luger and I'm happy with the process, I just can't control the outcome."

If the seven-time champion trainer has any expectations for Luger, they are off in the distance.

"The way Luger's record reads, you would hope that, as a five-year-old, he'll develop the strength to be one of the better horses around. As for Sunday, it's a small field, it's tricky and the opposition is strong. If he races well, I'll be happy to take him to Japan for the Yasuda Kinen."